CVE-2025-48946: liboqs affected by theoretical design flaw in HQC

Published May 30, 2025
·
Updated

liboqs is a C-language cryptographic library that provides implementations of post-quantum cryptography algorithms. liboqs prior to version 0.13.0 supports the HQC algorithm, an algorithm with a theoretical design flaw which leads to large numbers of malformed ciphertexts sharing the same implicit rejection value. Currently, no concrete attack on the algorithm is known. However, prospective users of HQC must take extra care when using the algorithm in protocols involving key derivation. In particular, HQC does not provide the same security guarantees as Kyber or ML-KEM. There is currently no patch for the HQC flaw available in liboqs, so HQC is disabled by default in liboqs starting from version 0.13.0. OQS will update its implementation after the HQC team releases an updated algorithm specification.

Affected Software

2 affected components
OQS liboqs<0.13.0
Openquantumsafe Liboqs<0.13.0

Event History

May 30, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·07:21 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·07:21 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·08:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-48946?

CVE-2025-48946 has a high severity due to the theoretical design flaw in the HQC algorithm leading to malformed ciphertexts.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-48946?

To fix CVE-2025-48946, upgrade your liboqs version to at least 0.13.0, which addresses the vulnerability.

3

Which versions of liboqs are affected by CVE-2025-48946?

CVE-2025-48946 affects versions of liboqs prior to 0.13.0.

4

What is the cause of CVE-2025-48946?

CVE-2025-48946 is caused by a design flaw in the HQC algorithm implemented in liboqs.

5

What types of attacks may exploit CVE-2025-48946?

CVE-2025-48946 may be exploited through attacks leveraging malformed ciphertexts that could lead to cryptographic failures.

Contact

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