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rfc3161-client has insufficient verification for timestamp response signatures

Type: advisorySources: OSV

rfc3161-client is a Python library implementing the Time-Stamp Protocol (TSP) described in RFC 3161. Prior to version 1.0.3, there is a flaw in the timestamp response signature verification logic. In particular, chain verification is performed against the TSR's embedded certificates up to the trusted root(s), but fails to verify the TSR's own signature against the timestamping leaf certificates. Consequently, vulnerable versions perform insufficient signature validation to properly consider a TSR verified, as the attacker can introduce any TSR signature so long as the embedded leaf chains up to some root TSA. This issue has been patched in version 1.0.3. There is no workaround for this issue.

Products
Not specified
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2025-52556
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
2 Nov 2026, 18:37 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

rfc3161-client has insufficient verification for timestamp response signatures

core-osv · Original source

Published 21 Jun 2025, 01:33 UTC

rfc3161-client is a Python library implementing the Time-Stamp Protocol (TSP) described in RFC 3161. Prior to version 1.0.3, there is a flaw in the timestamp response signature verification logic. In particular, chain verification is performed against the TSR's embedded certificates up to the trusted root(s), but fails to verify the TSR's own signature against the timestamping leaf certificates. Consequently, vulnerable versions perform insufficient signature validation to properly consider a TSR verified, as the attacker can introduce any TSR signature so long as the embedded leaf chains up to some root TSA. This issue has been patched in version 1.0.3. There is no workaround for this issue.

osv:CVE-2025-52556
Complete source record
{
  "id": "ed5484fee80634f3c07a5d4be6fbca22e060633bb42ad227e6a4a15091e26832",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-52556",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "rfc3161-client has insufficient verification for timestamp response signatures",
    "summary": "rfc3161-client is a Python library implementing the Time-Stamp Protocol (TSP) described in RFC 3161. Prior to version 1.0.3, there is a flaw in the timestamp response signature verification logic. In particular, chain verification is performed against the TSR's embedded certificates up to the trusted root(s), but fails to verify the TSR's own signature against the timestamping leaf certificates. Consequently, vulnerable versions perform insufficient signature validation to properly consider a TSR verified, as the attacker can introduce any TSR signature so long as the embedded leaf chains up to some root TSA. This issue has been patched in version 1.0.3. There is no workaround for this issue.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2025-52556",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "critical",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2025-52556",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2025-52556",
        "GHSA-6qhv-4h7r-2g9m",
        "PYSEC-2026-525"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V4",
          "score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/trailofbits/rfc3161-client",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "a9a5588e3b67fac1ae62eb271993b6e9fac41e6d"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "724a184f953e3f171f85cb223871172b41b0d0dc"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "fixed": "1.0.3"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "AFFECTED_FIELD",
                    "strategy": "StringRangeExpression"
                  },
                  {
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "fixed": "724a184f953e3f171f85cb223871172b41b0d0dc"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "REFERENCES_COMMIT"
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "v1.0.2",
            "v1.0.1",
            "v1.0.0",
            "v0.1.2",
            "v0.1.1",
            "v0.1.0",
            "v0.0.5",
            "v0.0.4",
            "v0.0.3",
            "v0.0.2",
            "v0.0.1"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2025-52556.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-28T02:30:22.416903877Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/52xxx/CVE-2025-52556.json",
        "https://github.com/trailofbits/rfc3161-client/security/advisories/GHSA-6qhv-4h7r-2g9m",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-52556",
        "https://github.com/trailofbits/rfc3161-client/commit/724a184f953e3f171f85cb223871172b41b0d0dc"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cwe_ids": [
          "CWE-347"
        ],
        "cna_assigner": "GitHub_M",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2025/52xxx/CVE-2025-52556.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2025-52556",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 488631,
  "published_at": "2025-06-21T01:33:18.829+00:00"
}