GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 — bcpkix-jdk15on
Fix: bcgit/bc-java@310b30aGHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 is a CWE-770 vulnerability in org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on. A fix is available for org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Bouncy Castle for Java bcpkix, bcprov, bcpkix-fips on All (API modules) allows Excessive Allocation
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6.
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.
Real-World Exposure
org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15to18☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips☕org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fipsReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling vulnerability in Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc. Bouncy Castle for Java bcpkix, bcprov, bcpkix-fips on All (API modules) allows Excessive Allocation. This vulnerability is associated with program files https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/pkix/src/main/java/org/bouncycastle/pkix/jcajce/PKIXCertP... https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/pkix/src/main/java/org/bouncycastle/pkix/jcajce/PKIXCertPathReviewer.java , https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/prov/src/main/java/org/bouncycastle/x509/PKIXCertPathRevi... https://github.Com/bcgit/bc-java/blob/main/prov/src/main/java/org/bouncycastle/x509/PKIXCertPathReviewer.java .
This issue affects Bouncy Castle for Java: from BC 1.44 through 1.78, from BCPKIX FIPS 1.0.0 through 1.0.7, from BCPKIX FIPS 2.0.0 through 2.0.7.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on | ≥ 1.44&&< 1.79 | 1.79org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on:1.79 |
| ☕Maven | org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15to18 | ≥ 1.44&&< 1.79 | 1.79org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15to18:1.79 |
| ☕Maven | org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on | ≥ 1.44&&< 1.79 | 1.79org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on:1.79 |
| ☕Maven | org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips | ≥ 1.0.0&&< 1.0.8 | 1.0.8org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips:1.0.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.0.8 | 2.0.8org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-fips:2.0.8 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on to 1.79 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-4cx2-fc23-5wg6 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.