Summary
Improper Key Verification in openpgp
Versions of openpgp prior to 4.2.0 are vulnerable to Improper Key Verification. The OpenPGP standard allows signature packets to have subpackets which may be hashed or unhashed. Unhashed subpackets are not cryptographically protected and cannot be trusted. The openpgp package does not verify whether a subpacket is hashed. Furthermore, due to the order of parsing a signature packet information from unhashed subpackets overwrites information from hashed subpackets. This may allow an attacker to modify the contents of a key certification signature or revocation signature. Doing so could convince a victim to use an obsolete key for encryption. An attack require a victim to import a manipulated key or update an existing key with a manipulated version.
Impact
CVE-2019-9154 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (4.2.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Upgrade to version 4.2.0 or later.
If you are upgrading from a version <4.0.0 it is highly recommended to read the High-Level API Changes section of the openpgp 4.0.0 release: https://github.com/openpgpjs/openpgpjs/releases/tag/v4.0.0
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2019-9154? CVE-2019-9154 is a high-severity security vulnerability in openpgp (npm), affecting versions <= 4.1.2. It is fixed in 4.2.0.
- How severe is CVE-2019-9154? CVE-2019-9154 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of openpgp are affected by CVE-2019-9154? openpgp (npm) versions <= 4.1.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2019-9154? Yes. CVE-2019-9154 is fixed in 4.2.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2019-9154 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2019-9154 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2019-9154 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2019-9154? Upgrade
openpgpto 4.2.0 or later.