BlackTreeIndependent security intelligence
← Back to the CVE catalogue
Full vulnerability report · 2023
CVE-2023-46129High confidence

xkeys Seal encryption used fixed key for all encryption

nats-io · nkeys

7.5HighCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
CVE-2023-46129 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securitynkeys: xkeys Seal encryption used fixed key for all encryption
6 known affected

The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.

  • openshift-serverless-1/ingress-rhel8-operator as a component of OpenShift Serverless
  • openshift4/dpu-network-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
  • ocs4/mcg-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4
  • ocs4/ocs-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4
  • odf4/odf-multicluster-rhel9-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4
  • rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 2
Summary
A flaw was found in nkeys. The nkeys library's "xkeys" encryption handling logic, mistakenly passed an array by value into an internal function, where the function mutated that buffer to populate the encryption key to use. As a result, all encryption was using an all-zeros key.
Remediation
Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied. To update all RPMs for your particular architecture, run: rpm -Fvh [filenames] where [filenames] is a list of the RPMs you wish to upgrade. Only those RPMs which are currently installed will be updated. Those RPMs which are not installed but included in the list will not be updated. Note that you can also use wildcards (*.rpm) if your current directory *only* contains the desired RPMs. Please note that this update is also available via Red Hat Network. Many people find this an easier way to apply updates. To use Red Hat Network, launch the Red Hat Update Agent with the following command: up2date This will start an interactive process that will result in the appropriate RPMs being upgraded on your system.
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Select the national-authority views to include. The exact source language is shown on each matched advisory. Your choice is remembered on this device and encoded in the shareable URL.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2023-2780

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

ENISA has published the identifier mapping but no EUVD description has been stored yet.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
Not supplied in the stored EUVD record
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 7 days

High technical severity; prioritise exposed affected systems while verifying vendor guidance.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

NATS.io is a high performance open source pub-sub distributed communication technology, built for the cloud, on-premise, IoT, and edge computing. The cryptographic key handling library, nkeys, recently gained support for encryption, not just for signing/authentication. This is used in nats-server 2.10 (Sep 2023) and newer for authentication callouts. In nkeys versions 0.4.0 through 0.4.5, corresponding with NATS server versions 2.10.0 through 2.10.3, the nkeys library's `xkeys` encryption handling logic mistakenly passed an array by value into an internal function, where the function mutated that buffer to populate the encryption key to use. As a result, all encryption was actually to an all-zeros key. This affects encryption only, not signing. FIXME: FILL IN IMPACT ON NATS-SERVER AUTH CALLOUT SECURITY. nkeys Go library 0.4.6, corresponding with NATS Server 2.10.4, has a patch for this issue. No known workarounds are available. For any application handling auth callouts in Go, if using the nkeys library, update the dependency, recompile and deploy that in lockstep.

What

NATS.io is a high performance open source pub-sub distributed communication technology, built for the cloud, on-premise, IoT, and edge computing. The cryptographic key handling library, nkeys, recently gained support for encryption, not just for signing/authentication. This is used in nats-server 2.10 (Sep 2023) and newer for authentication callouts. In nkeys versions 0.4.0 through 0.4.5, corresponding with NATS server versions 2.10.0 through 2.10.3, the nkeys library's `xkeys` encryption handling logic mistakenly passed an array by value into an internal function, where the function mutated that buffer to populate the encryption key to use. As a result, all encryption was actually to an all-zeros key. This affects encryption only, not signing. FIXME: FILL IN IMPACT ON NATS-SERVER AUTH CALLOUT SECURITY. nkeys Go library 0.4.6, corresponding with NATS Server 2.10.4, has a patch for this issue. No known workarounds are available. For any application handling auth callouts in Go, if using the nkeys library, update the dependency, recompile and deploy that in lockstep.

Why

The product uses a hard-coded, unchangeable cryptographic key.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

NATS.io is a high performance open source pub-sub distributed communication technology, built for the cloud, on-premise, IoT, and edge computing. The cryptographic key handling library, nkeys, recently gained support for encryption, not just for signing/authentication. This is used in nats-server 2.10 (Sep 2023) and newer for authentication callouts. In nkeys versions 0.4.0 through 0.4.5, corresponding with NATS server versions 2.10.0 through 2.10.3, the nkeys library's `xkeys` encryption handling logic mistakenly passed an array by value into an internal function, where the function mutated that buffer to populate the encryption key to use. As a result, all encryption was actually to an all-zeros key. This affects encryption only, not signing. FIXME: FILL IN IMPACT ON NATS-SERVER AUTH CALLOUT SECURITY. nkeys Go library 0.4.6, corresponding with NATS Server 2.10.4, has a patch for this issue. No known workarounds are available. For any application handling auth callouts in Go, if using the nkeys library, update the dependency, recompile and deploy that in lockstep.

Why

The product uses a hard-coded, unchangeable cryptographic key.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
a network path → Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-321 ↗

CWE-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key. The product uses a hard-coded, unchangeable cryptographic key.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-321
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

BSI · German · WID-SEC-W-2023-3067Red Hat OpenShift: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Ein entfernter, anonymer Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Red Hat OpenShift ausnutzen, um einen Denial of Service Angriff durchzuführen und um Sicherheitsmechanismen zu umgehen.

Official advisory
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2025-AVI-0756Multiples vulnérabilités dans les produits VMware

ord?id=CVE-2023-43785 Référence CVE CVE-2023-43786 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-43786 Référence CVE CVE-2023-43787 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-43787 Référence CVE CVE-2023-44487 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-44487 Référence CVE CVE-2023-4527 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4527 Référence CVE CVE-2023-45288 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45288 Référence CVE CVE-2023-45322 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45322 Référence CVE CVE-2023-45803 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45803 Référence CVE CVE-2023-45853 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45853 Référence CVE CVE-2023-46129 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46129 Référence CVE CVE-2023-46218 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46218 Référence CVE CVE-2023-46219 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46219 Référence CVE CVE-2023-4641 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4641 Référence CVE CVE-2023-47038 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-47038 Référence CVE CVE-2023-47039 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-47039 Référence CVE CVE-2023-47100 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-47100 Référence CVE CVE-2023-4806 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4806 Référence CVE CVE-2023-4807 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2

Official advisory
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
openshift-serverless-1/ingress-rhel8-operator as a component of OpenShift Serverless; openshift4/dpu-network-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4; ocs4/mcg-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4; ocs4/ocs-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4; odf4/odf-multicluster-rhel9-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 2
Fixed
rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:0b391aee88ed6f569737ab84082966715ac26e9bb3d9ca0517578f77fa54e4e9_ppc64le as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:39fdd72fa31f524455421d7296b34f300755249778e778bcf49b3b1a822faef7_s390x as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:8b82385bd6ea85049822a7c38d93f6e4418c1d36cb57802751bc13dbe974da18_amd64 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:910096f8781fcd9048810c8c15754e77f094f567d74d60677e5beefe5b94d528_arm64 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0
Action
Before applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied. To update all RPMs for your particular architecture, run: rpm -Fvh [filenames] where [filenames] is a list of the RPMs you wish to upgrade. Only those RPMs which are currently installed will be updated. Those RPMs which are not installed but included in the list will not be updated. Note that you can also use wildcards (*.rpm) if your current directory *only* contains the desired RPMs. Please note that this update is also available via Red Hat Network. Many people find this an easier way to apply updates. To use Red Hat Network, launch the Red Hat Update Agent with the following command: up2date This will start an interactive process that will result in the appropriate RPMs being upgraded on your system.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 30 Oct 2023 · Last source change 27 Feb 2025, 20:38 UTC · CWE-321 · Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-2780
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates →
  1. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    openshift-serverless-1/ingress-rhel8-operator as a component of OpenShift Serverless; openshift4/dpu-network-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4; ocs4/mcg-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4; ocs4/ocs-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4; odf4/odf-multicluster-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 2 · Fixed: rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:0b391aee88ed6f569737ab84082966715ac26e9bb3d9ca0517578f77fa54e4e9_ppc64le as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:39fdd72fa31f524455421d7296b34f300755249778e778bcf49b3b1a822faef7_s390x as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:8b82385bd6ea85049822a7c38d93f6e4418c1d36cb57802751bc13dbe974da18_amd64 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:910096f8781fcd9048810c8c15754e77f094f567d74d60677e5beefe5b94d528_arm64 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0
    After
    openshift-serverless-1/ingress-rhel8-operator as a component of OpenShift Serverless; openshift4/dpu-network-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4; ocs4/mcg-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4; ocs4/ocs-rhel8-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4; odf4/odf-multicluster-rhel9-operator as a component of Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 2 · Fixed: rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:0b391aee88ed6f569737ab84082966715ac26e9bb3d9ca0517578f77fa54e4e9_ppc64le as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:39fdd72fa31f524455421d7296b34f300755249778e778bcf49b3b1a822faef7_s390x as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:8b82385bd6ea85049822a7c38d93f6e4418c1d36cb57802751bc13dbe974da18_amd64 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0; rhosdt/tempo-gateway-rhel8@sha256:910096f8781fcd9048810c8c15754e77f094f567d74d60677e5beefe5b94d528_arm64 as a component of Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 3.0
    Red Hat Product Security ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-2780↗Vendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2023-46129 · cve.blacktree.nl