CVE-2026-26007

cryptography Subgroup Attack Due to Missing Subgroup Validation for SECT Curves

Published Feb 10, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 8.2 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
cryptography is a package designed to expose cryptographic primitives and recipes to Python developers. Prior to 46.0.5, the public_key_from_numbers (or EllipticCurvePublicNumbers.public_key()), EllipticCurvePublicNumbers.public_key(), load_der_public_key() and load_pem_public_key() functions do not verify that the point belongs to the expected prime-order subgroup of the curve. This missing validation allows an attacker to provide a public key point P from a small-order subgroup. This can lead to security issues in various situations, such as the most commonly used signature verification (ECDSA) and shared key negotiation (ECDH). When the victim computes the shared secret as S = [victim_private_key]P via ECDH, this leaks information about victim_private_key mod (small_subgroup_order). For curves with cofactor > 1, this reveals the least significant bits of the private key. When these weak public keys are used in ECDSA , it's easy to forge signatures on the small subgroup. Only SECT curves are impacted by this. This vulnerability is fixed in 46.0.5.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-r6ph-v2qm-q3c2 cryptography Vulnerable to a Subgroup Attack Due to Missing Subgroup Validation for SECT Curves
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8087-1 python-cryptography vulnerability
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8087-3 python-cryptography vulnerability
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Cryptography.io
Cryptography.io cryptography
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:cryptography.io:cryptography:*:*:*:*:*:python:*:*
Vendors & Products Cryptography.io
Cryptography.io cryptography
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Pyca
Pyca cryptography
Vendors & Products Pyca
Pyca cryptography
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-354
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N'}

threat_severity

Important

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description cryptography is a package designed to expose cryptographic primitives and recipes to Python developers. Prior to 46.0.5, the public_key_from_numbers (or EllipticCurvePublicNumbers.public_key()), EllipticCurvePublicNumbers.public_key(), load_der_public_key() and load_pem_public_key() functions do not verify that the point belongs to the expected prime-order subgroup of the curve. This missing validation allows an attacker to provide a public key point P from a small-order subgroup. This can lead to security issues in various situations, such as the most commonly used signature verification (ECDSA) and shared key negotiation (ECDH). When the victim computes the shared secret as S = [victim_private_key]P via ECDH, this leaks information about victim_private_key mod (small_subgroup_order). For curves with cofactor > 1, this reveals the least significant bits of the private key. When these weak public keys are used in ECDSA , it's easy to forge signatures on the small subgroup. Only SECT curves are impacted by this. This vulnerability is fixed in 46.0.5.
Title cryptography Subgroup Attack Due to Missing Subgroup Validation for SECT Curves
Weaknesses CWE-345
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 8.2, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Sep 16, 2026, 12:04 PM
Reserved
Feb 9, 2026, 9:36 PM
Status
Modified
Published
Feb 10, 2026, 10:17 PM
Modified
Sep 10, 2026, 1:17 PM
Severity
Important
Public date
Feb 10, 2026, 9:42 PM