CVE-2026-71883
Published:October 03, 2026
Updated:October 13, 2026
In Bouncy Castle for Java LTS before 2.73.13, the one-shot native packet ciphers for AES-CBC, CCM, CFB, CTR, GCM and GCM-SIV released the caller's key, IV and additional authenticated data arrays with JNI's ReleaseByteArrayElements in mode 0, which commits the native copy back into the Java array. Those arrays are read-only to the native code, and on a JVM that returns a copy rather than a pin the copy still holds the input bytes as they were read. The output buffer is taken through a separate critical region and committed first, so where an application passed the same Java array as both an input and the destination - encrypting in place over KeyParameter.getKey(), for example - the later mode-0 release of the key wrote the unchanged key bytes over the ciphertext that had just been produced. The call still returned the correct output length, so an application encrypting in place over its own key array was handed the raw AES key where it expected ciphertext, with nothing in the API to indicate it, and would transmit or store the key in place of the message. The read-only input arrays are now released with JNI_ABORT, freeing the native copy without copying it back, and mode 0 is reserved for arrays the native code wrote. The pure-Java packet ciphers and the streaming native modes are not affected. Bouncy Castle for Java (bcprov) is not affected, as it ships no native implementations.
Affected Packages
https://github.com/bcgit/bc-lts-java.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=r2rv73dot4 <r2rv73dot13Fix Suggestion:
Update to version r2rv73dot13org.bouncycastle:bcprov-lts8on (JAVA):
Affected version(s) >=2.73.4 <2.73.13Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.73.13org.bouncycastle:bcprov-debug-lts8on (JAVA):
Affected version(s) >=2.73.9 <2.73.13Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 2.73.13Related Resources (5)
Do you need more information?
Contact UsCVSS v4
Base Score:
8.2
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Attack Complexity
LOW
Attack Requirements
PRESENT
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Vulnerable System Confidentiality
HIGH
Vulnerable System Integrity
NONE
Vulnerable System Availability
NONE
Subsequent System Confidentiality
NONE
Subsequent System Integrity
NONE
Subsequent System Availability
NONE
CVSS v3
Base Score:
7.5
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Attack Complexity
LOW
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
NONE
Availability
NONE
Weakness Type (CWE)
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
EPSS
Base Score:
0.25