CVE-2024-50382
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Botan's AES-GCM implementation allows side-channel attacks through compiler-induced secret-dependent control flow. Attackers could potentially extract cryptographic keys by analyzing timing differences during GHASH operations. Affects systems using Botan library with specific LLVM/Clang compilers on RISC-V architecture.
💻 Affected Systems
- Botan cryptography library
📦 What is this software?
Botan by Botan Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full compromise of AES-GCM encrypted communications allowing decryption of sensitive data and potential authentication bypass.
Likely Case
Partial key recovery through side-channel analysis requiring physical or network proximity to vulnerable system.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if proper network segmentation and access controls prevent attackers from observing cryptographic operations.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires side-channel analysis capabilities and specific hardware/compiler conditions.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.6.0
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/randombit/botan/commit/53b0cfde580e86b03d0d27a488b6c134f662e957
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Botan to version 3.6.0 or later. 2. Recompile applications using Botan. 3. Restart affected services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Use different compiler
linuxCompile Botan with GCC or other compilers instead of LLVM 15 on RISC-V
CC=gcc CXX=g++ ./configure.py
make clean && make
Disable AES-GCM
allConfigure applications to use alternative encryption modes instead of AES-GCM
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate RISC-V systems using vulnerable Botan versions from untrusted networks
- Implement strict access controls to prevent side-channel observation of cryptographic operations
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Botan version and compilation environment: 1. Run 'botan version' or check application dependencies. 2. Verify if compiled with LLVM 15 on RISC-V.Check Version:
botan version || grep -r "Botan" /usr/include /usr/local/include || ldd <application> | grep botanVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Botan version is 3.6.0 or later and check commit includes 53b0cfde580e86b03d0d27a488b6c134f662e957📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual cryptographic operation failures
- Multiple authentication attempts against encrypted services
Network Indicators:
- Abnormal timing patterns in encrypted traffic
- Repeated connection attempts to cryptographic services
SIEM Query:
source="*botan*" OR process="*botan*" AND (version<3.6.0 OR compiler="llvm15")