CVE-2026-71891
Published:October 03, 2026
Updated:October 09, 2026
In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.86, BLS12_381BasicScheme.keyValidate, and so BLSPublicKeyParameters and every BasicScheme, MessageAugmentation and ProofOfPossession verify and aggregateVerify that gate on it, accepted a public key built on a foreign ECCurve that merely shares BLS12-381's field characteristic. The prime-order subgroup check trusts a point's own curve to name its cofactor, since ECPoint.satisfiesOrder returns true outright when the curve's cofactor is one, so a point on a curve with a different equation and a cofactor forged to one passed keyValidate despite not being a G1 point at all. In BC's pairing implementation such a point contributes the identity in the target group, so an aggregate signature verified against a set of public keys including it is accepted even though it contains no signature for that key and message pair, admitting a phantom signer. keyValidate now first confirms that the point's curve carries exactly the canonical G1 field, equation, order and cofactor before any subgroup check. The issue is reachable only where an application constructs an ECPoint on an explicit, non-canonical curve and accepts it as an authority-bearing key; the standard 48-byte compressed-point decoder always supplies the canonical curve and was never affected.
Affected Packages
https://github.com/bcgit/bc-java.git (GITHUB):
Affected version(s) >=r1rv85 <r1rv86Fix Suggestion:
Update to version r1rv86org.bouncycastle:bcprov-debug-jdk15to18 (JAVA):
Affected version(s) >=1.85 <1.86Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 1.86org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15to18 (JAVA):
Affected version(s) >=1.85 <1.86Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 1.86org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk18on (JAVA):
Affected version(s) >=1.85 <1.86Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 1.86org.bouncycastle:bcprov-debug-jdk18on (JAVA):
Affected version(s) =1.85 <1.86Fix Suggestion:
Update to version 1.86Related Resources (7)
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Contact UsCVSS v4
Base Score:
7.1
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Attack Complexity
LOW
Attack Requirements
NONE
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
PASSIVE
Vulnerable System Confidentiality
NONE
Vulnerable System Integrity
HIGH
Vulnerable System Availability
NONE
Subsequent System Confidentiality
NONE
Subsequent System Integrity
NONE
Subsequent System Availability
NONE
CVSS v3
Base Score:
6.5
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Attack Complexity
LOW
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
REQUIRED
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
NONE
Weakness Type (CWE)
Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature
EPSS
Base Score:
0.17