cryptography is a package designed to expose cryptographic primitives and recipes to Python developers. Starting in version 38.0.0 and prior to version 42.0.4, if `pkcs12.serialize_key_and_certificates` is called with both a certificate whose public key did not match the provided private key and an `encryption_algorithm` with `hmac_hash` set (via `PrivateFormat.PKCS12.encryption_builder().hmac_hash(...)`, then a NULL pointer dereference would occur, crashing the Python process. This has been resolved in version 42.0.4, the first version in which a `ValueError` is properly raised.
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from cryptography.io organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2024, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2024-02-21T17:15:09.863
2026-06-17T07:17:09.793
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 7.5 (HIGH)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | cryptography.io | cryptography | < 42.0.4 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For cryptography.io's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.