Garbage collection issue in BC-FJA in Java 13 and later
An issue was discovered in the FIPS Java API of Bouncy Castle BC-FJA before 1.0.2.4. Changes to the JVM garbage collector in Java 13 and later trigger an issue in the BC-FJA FIPS modules where it is possible for temporary keys used by the module to be zeroed out while still in use by the module, resulting in errors or potential information loss.
NOTE: FIPS compliant users are unaffected because the FIPS certification is only for Java 7, 8, and 11.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | org.bouncycastle:bc-fips | < 1.0.2.4 | 1.0.2.4 |
References
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-416- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
org.bouncycastle:bc-fips- Disclosed
- 21.11.2022
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:19
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-68m8-v89j-7j2p - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: org.bouncycastle:bc-fips
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 13
- First → latest
- 04.2021 08.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 1
- High 3
- Medium 7
- Low 2
Disclosures per year
- 2021: 2
- 2022: 1
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 1
- 2025: 5
- 2026: 4
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Garbage collection issue in BC-FJA in Java 13 and later this entry
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