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KO
MEDIUM

GHSA-8h84-fhqq-q58v

nebula-mesh: Decrypted CA private key persists in heap after signing

Details

`internal/pki/resolver.go:36-64` constructs a `CAManager` with the plaintext `ed25519.PrivateKey` after unwrapping via the master key; `internal/pki/ca.go:13-16` stores it. Callers at `internal/api/enroll.go:116`, `internal/api/updates.go:297`, and `internal/api/mobile_bundle.go:40` use the manager for one `Sign()` and drop the reference on function return — but the underlying slice contents are not wiped before release.

The keystore package's contract (`internal/keystore/keystore.go` doc: *"Callers MUST zeroise the returned plaintext DEK as soon as it is no longer needed"*) is not met by the `CAManager` consumer. Decrypted CA private keys persist in process heap until Go's GC scavenges the underlying slice — minutes to hours under load, indefinitely on idle servers.

## Affected All released versions up to v0.3.6.

## Threat model Memory-read access: core dump, ptrace, kernel swap to disk, container/VM snapshot, OOM-debug bundle, side-channel via shared cache lines. Not a remote-network vulnerability, but defeats the master-key + envelope-encryption design's promise of "private key never lingers".

## Suggested fix Add a `Wipe()` method on `CAManager`:

```go // internal/pki/ca.go func (m *CAManager) Wipe() { if m == nil { return } keystore.Zeroize(m.caKey) } ```

At each call site (`enroll.go:116`, `updates.go:297`, `mobile_bundle.go:40`, and any new caller), `defer caMgr.Wipe()` immediately after the `Resolve()` call. Pattern mirrors the existing `defer keystore.Zeroize(dek)` discipline in the keystore package.

Optional follow-up: wrap `m.Sign()` to zeroize after each call, removing the contract on callers — but the `defer` pattern is sufficient as a minimum.

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Affected packages

Go / github.com/juev/nebula-mesh
Introduced in: 0 Fixed in: 0.3.7
Fix go get github.com/juev/nebula-mesh@v0.3.7

References