CVE-2024-14041: In Bouncy Castle for Java from 1.73 to before 1.78, three ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber) routines divided secret-deri

This week

MEDIUM 5.9REMOTEUPGRADE

CVE-2024-14041 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.9) affecting bc-java. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

In Bouncy Castle for Java from 1.73 to before 1.78, three ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber) routines divided secret-derived polynomial coefficients by the modulus q: Poly.toMsg, which decodes the decrypted message, and the ciphertext compression routines Poly.compressPoly and PolyVec.compressPolyVec. An attacker able to measure the timing of a large number of decapsulations performed with the same long-term private key can recover that key. These are the K

Why this priority

Public exploit reference
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.9 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	High
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.5% (top 60%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-208
Published	2026-07-28
Last modified	2026-10-02

Publisher (CNA): bcorg · Vendor: bouncycastle

Last updated 2026-10-02 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-07-28 08:17 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-10-02 00:10 UTCUpdated Record last modified

bouncycastle bc-java UPGRADE

Affected: >= 1.73 and < 1.78

Fixed in: 1.78

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.73

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy bc-java || rpm -q bc-java || bc-java --version

2. UPGRADE to 1.78 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade bc-java

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade bc-java

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.73 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison bc-java sudo apt install bc-java=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.73> sudo apt-mark hold bc-java

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list bc-java sudo dnf downgrade bc-java-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.73> sudo dnf versionlock add bc-java

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2024-14041?

bc-java: upgrade to 1.78. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2024-14041 being exploited?

CVE-2024-14041 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2024-14041 affect?

CVE-2024-14041 affects bc-java. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.9). In Bouncy Castle for Java from 1.73 to before 1.78, three ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber) routines divided secret-derived polynomial coefficients by the modulus q: Poly.toMsg, which decodes the decrypted message, and the ciphertext compression rout

How urgent is CVE-2024-14041?

Priority 41/100. Public exploit reference; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Software pages

Java vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-59644 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.85, MLS hash-ratchet honours arbitrary 32-bit generation counter from sende
CVE-2026-12852 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.85, MLS wire decoder allocates attacker-declared opaque length before bound
CVE-2026-59652 MEDIUM 6.5 UPGRADE In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.85, LDAP filter injection in legacy jdk1.4 LDAPStoreHelper.
CVE-2026-17507 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.86, the MLS implementation (org.bouncycastle.mls) holds RFC 9420's uint32 l
CVE-2026-59643 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE UPGRADE In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.85, OpenPGP inline-signature policy failures silently ignored

References

← Back to latest CVEs