CVE-2021-38195Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Invalid signature acceptance via overflowing scalar parsing

Published Aug 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Improper signature verification in the Rust libsecp256k1 crate before 0.5.0 allows attackers to validate malformed signatures. Signature parsing reduces oversized R or S scalars modulo the secp256k1 curve order instead of rejecting the out-of-range values. Applications that pass attacker-controlled signatures to the affected verification path can accept data that conforming implementations reject.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.94%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper signature verification in the Rust libsecp256k1 crate before 0.5.0 allows attackers to validate malformed signatures. Signature parsing reduces oversized R or S scalars modulo the secp256k1 curve order instead of rejecting the out-of-range values. Applications that pass attacker-controlled signatures to the affected verification path can accept data that conforming implementations reject.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-38195
Published
Aug 8, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-347
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 8, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-347Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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