flynn/noise has improper nonce handling yielding potential state DoS
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from GitHub.
Summary
The Go package `github.com/flynn/noise`, a [Noise Protocol](https://noiseprotocol.org/) implementation, has two bugs in nonce handling in versions prior to v1.0.0. ### Issue 1: Potential nonce overflow If 2<sup>64</sup> (~18.4 quintillion) or more messages are encrypted with `Encrypt` after handshaking, the nonce counter will wrap around, causing multiple messages to be encrypted with the same key and nonce, resulting in a potentially catastrophic weakening of the security properties of the symmetric cipher. This has been resolved in the patched version by returning `ErrMaxNonce` from the `CipherState` `Encrypt` and `Decrypt` methods before the reserved maximum nonce is reached. If this error is encountered, the program should handshake again to start with a fresh `CipherState`. ### Issue 2: Potential denial of service via invalid ciphertext If an attacker sends an invalid ciphertext into one peer's `Decrypt`, the nonce is incremented unconditionally. This causes a desync of the `CipherState` due to a nonce mismatch between the peers, resulting in a failure to decrypt all subsequent messages. A new handshake will be required to establish a new `CipherState`. This has been resolved in the patched version by returning authentication errors from `Decrypt` before incrementing the nonce. ### Patches Fixed in https://github.com/flynn/noise/pull/44, tagged as v1.0.0. ### Acknowledgements These issues were discovered during [an audit](https://www.bamsoftware.com/software/dnstt/cure53-turbotunnel-2021.pdf) of a user of this package ([dnstt](https://www.bamsoftware.com/software/dnstt/)). Thanks to UC Berkley for commissioning the audit, and to David Fifield and Nathan Brown for their collaboration on the fixes. The fixed issues are noted in the audit as: * UCB-02-003 Potential nonce overflow in Noise protocol * UCB-02-006 DoS due to unconditional nonce increment
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | github.com/flynn/noise (Go) | before 1.0.0 | 1.0.0 | Patch available | GHSA-g9mp-8g3h-3c5c |
- github.com/flynn/noise (Go) Vendor— Affected before 1.0.0 Fixed in 1.0.0 Patch available GHSA-g9mp-8g3h-3c5c
Remediation
- Fix · GHSA-g9mp-8g3h-3c5c github.com/flynn/noise (Go) Fixed in 1.0.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-03 Threatist record created from GHSA-g9mp-8g3h-3c5c
References
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences