GHSA-xg7c-246g-6qpv json
Remote Denial of Service via malformed NIP-04 IV
published 3mo ago modified 3mo ago also RUSTSEC-2026-0219
- cvss
- 7.5
- version 3.1, OSV
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- —
- no score, EPSS covers CVEs only
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
The `nostr` crate did not validate the length of the initialization vector decoded from the `?iv=` portion of a NIP-04 encrypted message.
The decoded IV was converted from a byte slice to the 16-byte AES-CBC IV type using a conversion that asserts the slice length. As a result, an IV whose decoded length was not exactly 16 bytes caused a panic before ciphertext decryption. For example, `?iv=AAAA` decodes to a three-byte IV and triggers the panic.
Applications that decrypt untrusted NIP-04 content are affected. The issue is also reachable through NIP-47 (Nostr Wallet Connect), where response and notification events from a malicious or compromised wallet service are passed to NIP-04 decryption. If the panic is not isolated, a crafted event can terminate the application or disrupt message processing, causing a denial of service.
The issue does not affect confidentiality or integrity.
The flaw was corrected by converting the decoded IV to `[u8; 16]` using a checked conversion. Invalid IV lengths now return a `Malformed` error instead of panicking.
## Credit
Discovered and responsibly disclosed by **Muhammed Shekho** ([mhd-shekho.com](https://mhd-shekho.com)).
Patch / fix
Is GHSA-xg7c-246g-6qpv in your dependencies? Fencer shows which of your repositories are affected as soon as an advisory lands, and opens the fix as a pull request.
Check with FencerCVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSV | 3.1 | 7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
Affected packages
| ecosystem | package | affected | fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| crates.io | nostr | >=0.0.0-0, <0.44.6 >=0.45.0-alpha.1, <0.45.0-alpha.6 |
0.44.6 0.45.0-alpha.6 |
References
Sources
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