CVE-2024-48930
secp256k1-node vulnerable to private key extraction over ECDH
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.
Blast Radius
secp256k1📦secp256k1📦secp256k1Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects npm packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
secp256k1-node is a Node.js binding for an Optimized C library for EC operations on curve secp256k1. In elliptic-based version, loadUncompressedPublicKey has a check that the public key is on the curve. Prior to versions 5.0.1, 4.0.4, and 3.8.1, however, loadCompressedPublicKey is missing that check. That allows the attacker to use public keys on low-cardinality curves to extract enough information to fully restore the private key from as little as 11 ECDH sessions, and very cheaply on compute power. Other operations on public keys are also affected, including e.g. publicKeyVerify() incorrectly returning true on those invalid keys, and e.g. publicKeyTweakMul() also returning predictable outcomes allowing to restore the tweak. Versions 5.0.1, 4.0.4, and 3.8.1 contain a fix for the issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | secp256k1 | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.0.1 | 5.0.1 |
| 📦npm | secp256k1 | ≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.0.4 | 4.0.4 |
| 📦npm | secp256k1 | all versions | 3.8.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for secp256k1. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update secp256k1 to 5.0.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-48930 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
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 pinpoints whether CVE-2024-48930 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2024-48930. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-48930 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2024-48930 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.