CVE-2026-10097: ML-KEM-1024 x64 AVX2 incomplete cipher text comparison enables IND-CCA2 break and static private-key recovery

Published Jun 25, 2026
·
Updated

wolfSSL's AVX2-optimized ML-KEM implementation (mlkemcmpavx2) compares only 1536 of the 1568 ciphertext bytes during the Fujisaki-Okamoto re-encryption check in ML-KEM-1024 decapsulation. Ciphertexts that differ from the expected re-encryption solely in bytes 1536-1567 bypass implicit rejection and are accepted as valid, breaking IND-CCA2 security. An attacker able to submit chosen ciphertexts to a decapsulation oracle that uses a static ML-KEM-1024 key, and to observe whether the genuine shared secret or the implicit-rejection secret was produced, can use this as a plaintext-checking oracle to recover the private key. A proof of concept recovered a full ML-KEM-1024 private key with approximately 98% success using roughly 350 chosen ciphertexts. The flaw is a deterministic logic error and does not rely on timing measurements.

Affected Software

1 affected component
wolfSSL wolfssl>=5.7.0<5.9.2

Event History

Jun 25, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·07:59 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·07:59 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·08:17 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-10097?

The severity of CVE-2026-10097 is classified as high with a score of 8.3.

2

What is CVE-2026-10097 about?

CVE-2026-10097 describes an issue in wolfSSL's ML-KEM implementation where incomplete ciphertext comparison can lead to IND-CCA2 breaks and private key recovery.

3

How do I fix CVE-2026-10097?

To address CVE-2026-10097, you should update to a patched version of wolfSSL that resolves the incomplete ciphertext comparison issue.

4

What software is affected by CVE-2026-10097?

CVE-2026-10097 affects wolfSSL's AVX2-optimized ML-KEM implementation.

5

What are the potential impacts of CVE-2026-10097?

The potential impacts of CVE-2026-10097 include the ability for attackers to recover static private keys due to a flaw in ciphertext comparison.

Contact

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