CVE-2024-23342 — ecdsa
HIGHCVE-2024-23342 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.4) CWE-203 vulnerability in ecdsa. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.
python-ecdsa vulnerable to Minerva attack on P-256
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2024-23342.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2024-23342 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,156 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
ecdsaReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
python-ecdsa has been found to be subject to a Minerva timing attack on the P-256 curve. Using the ecdsa.SigningKey.sign_digest() API function and timing signatures an attacker can leak the internal nonce which may allow for private key discovery. Both ECDSA signatures, key generation, and ECDH operations are affected. ECDSA signature verification is unaffected. The python-ecdsa project considers side channel attacks out of scope for the project and there is no planned fix.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | ecdsa | all versions | No fix |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for ecdsa, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
No patched version of ecdsa has shipped for CVE-2024-23342 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2024-23342 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2024-23342. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
Some of the offerings such as Quay do not rely on python-ecdsa, therefore the impact is minimal or non-existing for these products.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Satellite 6.15 for RHEL 8 | python-pulp-container-0:2.16.9-2.el8pc | RHSA-2024:10806 |
| RHUI 4 for RHEL 8 | python-ecdsa-0:0.18.0-4.el8ui | RHSA-2024:1878 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-23342 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2024-23342 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.