CVE-2014-0076 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The Montgomery ladder implementation in OpenSSL through 1.0.0l does not ensure that certain swap operations have a constant-time behavior, which makes it easier for local users to obtain ECDSA nonces via a FLUSH+RELOAD cache side-channel attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0076 resides within the cryptographic implementation of OpenSSL versions up to 1.0.0l, specifically affecting the Montgomery ladder algorithm used in elliptic curve cryptography operations. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the software's resistance to side-channel attacks, particularly cache-based attacks that exploit timing variations and memory access patterns to infer sensitive information. The Montgomery ladder is a well-established algorithm designed to provide constant-time execution for elliptic curve operations, but the implementation in OpenSSL contained a critical deviation that undermined this security property.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of swap operations within the Montgomery ladder implementation, where certain conditional swaps do not execute in constant time as required for cryptographic security. This vulnerability specifically impacts ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) operations, where the nonce generation process becomes susceptible to cache side-channel analysis. Attackers can leverage the FLUSH+RELOAD technique to monitor cache states and infer information about the secret ECDSA nonces being computed, effectively compromising the security of digital signatures generated by affected OpenSSL versions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to potentially reconstruct private keys or compromise the integrity of digital signatures in systems relying on OpenSSL for cryptographic operations. Local users with access to the target system can exploit this weakness by monitoring cache behavior during ECDSA signature generation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where OpenSSL is used for certificate management, secure communications, or digital signature verification. This vulnerability directly violates the principles of constant-time execution required for secure cryptographic implementations, creating a significant risk for any system using affected OpenSSL versions.
The security implications of CVE-2014-0076 align with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses related to improper implementation of cryptographic algorithms, and specifically relates to the lack of constant-time behavior in cryptographic operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access through side-channel attacks and privilege escalation via exploitation of cryptographic weaknesses. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation details in cryptographic libraries can have severe consequences for overall system security. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to OpenSSL versions that properly implement constant-time operations for Montgomery ladder algorithms, as well as implementing additional mitigations such as cache hardening techniques and monitoring for anomalous cache access patterns to protect against this specific class of side-channel attacks.
This vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in the cryptographic implementation's resistance to timing and cache-based side-channel attacks, where the lack of constant-time behavior in critical operations creates exploitable information leakage channels. The FLUSH+RELOAD attack vector specifically targets the cache behavior during cryptographic computations, making it particularly effective against implementations that do not properly account for timing variations in memory access patterns. The impact extends to any system utilizing ECDSA signatures through affected OpenSSL versions, potentially compromising the authenticity and integrity of digital communications and transactions that rely on these cryptographic operations for security.