CVE-2020-28498

Name: CVE-2020-28498
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-02-02T19:15:13.72+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.8/10EPSS 1.24%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-28498 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.8/10 on the CVSS scale. The package elliptic before 6.5.4 are vulnerable to Cryptographic Issues via the secp256k1 implementation in elliptic/ec/key.js. There is no check to confirm that the public key point passed into the derive function actually exists on the secp256k1 curve. EPSS estimates a 1.24% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The package elliptic before 6.5.4 are vulnerable to Cryptographic Issues via the secp256k1 implementation in elliptic/ec/key.js. There is no check to confirm that the public key point passed into the derive function actually exists on the secp256k1 curve. This results in the potential for the private key used in this implementation to be revealed after a number of ECDH operations are performed.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS Probability

1.24%

65.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-327

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Indutny	Elliptic	< 6.5.4

References

https://github.com/christianlundkvist/blog/blob/master/2020_05_26_secp256k1_twist_attacks/secp256k1_twist_attacks.mdThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/indutny/elliptic/commit/441b7428b0e8f6636c42118ad2aaa186d3c34c3fPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGWEBJARSNPM-1069836Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-ELLIPTIC-1064899Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/christianlundkvist/blog/blob/master/2020_05_26_secp256k1_twist_attacks/secp256k1_twist_attacks.mdThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/indutny/elliptic/commit/441b7428b0e8f6636c42118ad2aaa186d3c34c3fPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGWEBJARSNPM-1069836Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-ELLIPTIC-1064899Patch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Feb 2, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-28498?

How severe is CVE-2020-28498?

CVE-2020-28498 has a CVSS score of 6.8/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.24% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-28498?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-28498?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST