Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2026-23966: sm-crypto Affected by Private Key Recovery in SM2-PKE
sm-crypto provides JavaScript implementations of the Chinese cryptographic algorithms SM2, SM3, and SM4.
CVSS 9.1 Critical EPSS 0.2% · p13
Should you act?
Critical and remotely reachable
No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.2%, percentile 13: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.2% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 13% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
sm-crypto(npm) < 0.3.14, fixed in 0.3.14. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
sm-crypto provides JavaScript implementations of the Chinese cryptographic algorithms SM2, SM3, and SM4. A private key recovery vulnerability exists in the SM2 decryption logic of sm-crypto prior to version 0.3.14. By interacting with the SM2 decryption interface multiple times, an attacker can fully recover the private key within approximately several hundred interactions. Version 0.3.14 patches the issue.
From the GitHub advisory
Summary
A private key recovery vulnerability exists in the SM2 decryption logic of sm-crypto. By interacting with the SM2 decryption interface multiple times, an attacker can fully recover the private key within approximately several hundred interactions.
Credit
This vulnerability was discovered by: - XlabAI Team of Tencent Xuanwu Lab - Atuin Automated Vulnerability Discovery Engine
Weakness type: CWE-345.
Product: sm-crypto (npm) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2026-01-22
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | sm-crypto | < 0.3.14 | 0.3.14 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| JuneAndGreen | sm-crypto | < 0.3.14 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_M | 3.1 | 9.1 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N |
| GitHub | 3.1 | 9.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: unchanged
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.23% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 13.
Timeline
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-pgx9-497m-6c4v published (critical)
- — CVE record last updated
- — CVE record published by GitHub_M
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-pgx9-497m-6c4v github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-23966 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-23966 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com