dbcve.org
LibgcryptApplication · Gnupg

CVE-2026-41989

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.10.4 / 1.11.3 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Libgcrypt before 1.12.2 sometimes allows a heap-based buffer overflow and denial of service via crafted ECDH ciphertext to gcry_pk_decrypt.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Libgcrypt before version 1.12.2 contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the ECDH decryption path (gcry_pk_decrypt function). An attacker can trigger the overflow by providing specially crafted ECDH ciphertext, potentially causing denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade libgcrypt to version 1.12.2 or later. Identify all applications and systems using libgcrypt for ECDH operations and ensure the library is updated across the entire environment.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
LibgcryptApplication
Affected:>= 1.8.8, < 1.10.4>= 1.11.0, < 1.11.3>= 1.12.0, < 1.12.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed libgcrypt version
    Run 'gpg --version' or check the library directly with 'dpkg -l libgcrypt20' (Debian/Ubuntu), 'rpm -q libgcrypt' (RHEL/CentOS), or 'pkg_info | grep libgcrypt' (FreeBSD). On systems with the library file, run 'strings /usr/lib/libgcrypt.so.* | grep '^1\.' | head -5' or use 'ldd' on a linked binary and then inspect the library.
    Affected if The installed version is 1.8.8 through 1.10.3, 1.11.0 through 1.11.2, or 1.12.0 through 1.12.1.
  2. Locate all libgcrypt library files on the system
    Search for libgcrypt files using 'find /usr -name "libgcrypt*" -type f 2>/dev/null' and note the version strings embedded in each binary using 'strings <path> | grep -E "^1\.[0-9]+"' or check with 'file <path>'.
    Affected if Any libgcrypt library file found is within the affected version ranges.
  3. Identify applications using libgcrypt for ECDH
    Audit deployed applications and configurations for use of ECDH key exchange. Review application logs, configuration files, and code for references to 'ECDH', 'gcry_pk_decrypt', or the algorithm OID 1.3.101.112. On GPG systems, check 'gpg --list-packets' on stored keys or verify cipher preferences in '~/.gnupg/gpg.conf' and '/etc/gnupg/gpg.conf'.
    Affected if Any application or service processes ECDH-encrypted data using the vulnerable libgcrypt library.
  4. Determine if ECDH decryption is exposed to untrusted input
    Review whether applications using libgcrypt accept ECDH ciphertext from external sources, network peers, or unauthenticated users. Check for services that decrypt imported keys, process encrypted files from untrusted sources, or handle S/MIME/PGP messages containing ECDH key exchange.
    Affected if Untrusted or attacker-controlled ECDH ciphertext can be processed by a linked application.

A system is affected if it runs any version of libgcrypt within the ranges 1.8.8 to 1.10.3, 1.11.0 to 1.11.2, or 1.12.0 to 1.12.1 AND processes ECDH ciphertext from external sources.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.10.4 / 1.11.3 / 1.12.2 or later
Fixed in 1.10.41.11.31.12.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade libgcrypt to version 1.12.2 or later. Identify all applications and systems using libgcrypt for ECDH operations and ensure the library is updated across the entire environment.

Recommended fix High confidence

Libgcrypt 1.12.2 or later

  1. 1. Identify the current version of libgcrypt installed on the system using 'gcry-control --version' or checking the package manager.
  2. 2. Stop any applications or services that depend on libgcrypt to ensure a clean upgrade process.
  3. 3. Update libgcrypt to version 1.12.2 or later using the appropriate package manager or compile from source.
  4. 4. For package manager updates: run 'apt-get update && apt-get install libgcrypt20' (Debian/Ubuntu) or 'yum update libgcrypt' (RHEL/CentOS) or the equivalent for your distribution.
  5. 5. Verify the new version is installed by running 'gcry-control --version' or checking the package manager again.
  6. 6. Restart any services that depend on libgcrypt to ensure they use the patched library.
Caveat Minor: Upgrading libgcrypt is generally backward compatible for most use cases, but applications relying on specific internal behaviors or very old key formats should be tested after the upgrade.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Libgcrypt Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,840
Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-41989 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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