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OpenPGP data signature accepted from a signing subkey without cross-certification

Type: advisorySource: Official CVE List1 source record

In Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.86, the high-level OpenPGP API accepted a data signature made by a signing subkey whose Subkey Binding signature carried no embedded Primary Key Binding (cross-certification) signature, in the case where that binding omits a Key Flags subpacket. RFC 9580 sec. 5.2.1.8 and sec. 10.1.3 require the embedded Primary Key Binding signature on any subkey that can issue signatures; it is the subkey's own statement that it belongs to the primary key it is bound under. OpenPGPCertificate resolved the subkey's key flags two different ways. isSigningKey() goes through getKeyFlags() and getApplyingSubpacket(), which falls back to the primary key's direct-key or primary User ID self-signature when the binding signature omits the subpacket, so the subkey inherited the primary's SIGN_DATA and counted as signing-capable; verifyEmbeddedPrimaryKeyBinding(), which enforces the requirement, reads the binding signature's own hashed subpackets, found no SIGN_DATA there, and returned early as a non-signing key without ever demanding the back signature. The same subkey was therefore signing-capable - so its signatures were attributed to the certificate and OpenPGPSignature.OpenPGPDocumentSignature.isValid() returned true - while being exempt from cross-certification, where GnuPG refuses the identical certificate and message. An attacker needs only the victim's public signing subkey, which is public material: they bind it to their own primary key with a Subkey Binding

Announced Source revision 1
Original source ↗

CVE-2026-71887

Primary source · Revision 1

Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.

Security context

Source reference: cve:CVE-2026-71887

BC-JAVA

Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/0/product

Affected versions
Not stated in this record
Fixed versions
Not stated in this record
Prerequisites
Not stated in this record

Structured affected-version data

Original package identities and version rules from this source.

[
  {
    "repo": "https://github.com/bcgit/bc-java",
    "vendor": "Legion of the Bouncy Castle Inc.",
    "modules": [
      "pg"
    ],
    "product": "BC-JAVA",
    "versions": [
      {
        "status": "affected",
        "version": "1.81",
        "lessThan": "1.86",
        "versionType": "maven"
      }
    ],
    "platforms": [
      "all"
    ],
    "packageURL": "pkg:maven/org.bouncycastle/bcpg-jdk18on",
    "packageName": "bcpg",
    "programFiles": [
      "OpenPGPCertificate"
    ],
    "collectionURL": "https://www.bouncycastle.org/download/bouncy-castle-java/",
    "defaultStatus": "unaffected"
  }
]
Related CVEs
CVE-2026-71887

Source reference: /cveMetadata/cveId

Publisher severity

high

Source reference: /containers/cna/metrics

Event
#8773 · Revision 1
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Publisher date
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