Constant-Time Key Printing Vulnerability in dm crypt
Summary
GSD-2022-1003782: dm crypt: make printing of the key constant-time. Affects Kernel versions < 65e6282f0d752fb025ef4cc62a51b54ecce16b09. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
dm crypt is a disk encryption subsystem in the Linux Kernel that provides transparent disk encryption for block devices. It is used to protect sensitive data by encrypting it before it is written to the disk and decrypting it when it is read. The vulnerability in dm crypt allows an attacker to potentially extract the encryption key by exploiting timing differences in the printing of the key.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in dm crypt arises from the fact that the printing of the encryption key is not implemented in a constant-time manner. This means that the time taken to print the key can vary depending on the value of the key, allowing an attacker to potentially infer information about the key by measuring the time it takes to print different keys. By exploiting these timing differences, an attacker could potentially extract the encryption key and gain unauthorized access to the encrypted data. This vulnerability has been fixed in Linux Kernel version v5.4.197 by commit 65e6282f0d752fb025ef4cc62a51b54ecce16b09.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to the fixed version as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The constant-time key printing vulnerability in dm crypt can potentially allow an attacker to extract the encryption key and gain unauthorized access to encrypted data. It is crucial to update the Linux Kernel to the fixed version to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for Kernel →
FAQ
dm crypt is a disk encryption subsystem in the Linux Kernel that provides transparent disk encryption for block devices.
The vulnerability allows an attacker to potentially extract the encryption key used by dm crypt, which could lead to unauthorized access to encrypted data.
To fix this vulnerability, update the Linux Kernel to version v5.4.197 or later.
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. Updating the Linux Kernel is the recommended solution.
Yes, this vulnerability has been fixed in Linux Kernel version v5.4.197 by commit 65e6282f0d752fb025ef4cc62a51b54ecce16b09.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for Kernel.
