Secret key base exposed in stack trace arguments on wrong-typed Plug.Crypto arguments
What fixes it
- 1.7.0plugCVE List
- 2.2.1plug_cryptoCVE List
- 981887493dada0fce7003c61861c00dfbb0fc8c5plug_cryptoCVE List
- 2.2.1plug_crypto, erlangGitHub
- 1.7.0plug, erlangGitHub
A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.
Description
Externally-Generated Error Message Containing Sensitive Information vulnerability in plug_crypto in elixir-plug plug_crypto allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to expose the secret key base through application logs via a wrong-typed argument. Every public function in Plug.Crypto validates argument types in a function-head guard. A failed guard makes the Erlang VM raise FunctionClauseError with the actual argument values in the top stack frame, so the secret key base, a derived key, or the value an API key is compared against lands in that frame. The library's rescue blocks and Plug.Crypto.prune_args_from_stacktrace/1 only reach exceptions raised inside a function body, so they never see a guard failure. Plug.Cowboy and Bandit write the frame to the error log and attach it as crash_reason Logger metadata, which error trackers forward.
Two entry points take request data. Plug.Crypto.verify/4 exposes the secret key base when the token is neither a binary nor nil, which Phoenix.Token.verify/4 reaches because it forwards the token unguarded. Plug.Crypto.secure_compare/2 exposes the other operand when one side is not a binary, as happens when a missing request header yields nil. Reading the leaked value needs separate access to the logs or the error tracker, so the request alone does not disclose the secret to the attacker.
This issue affects plug: from 1.6.3 before 1.7.0; plug_crypto: from 1.0.0 before 2.2.1.
Text from GitHub Advisory Database
Affected versions 6
- plugaffected: 1.6.3 before 1.7.0CVE List
- plugaffected: 56000c33d8a0a2fbac491f8be06b9c5112bc2276 and laterCVE List
- plug_cryptoaffected: 1.0.0 before 2.2.1CVE List
- plug_cryptoaffected: 2d078b7b8264c565f0ff71235c515f4f46882dcf before 981887493dada0fce7003c61861c00dfbb0fc8c5CVE List
- plug_crypto, erlang>= 1.0.0, < 2.2.1GitHub
- plug, erlang>= 1.6.3, < 1.7.0GitHub
References 7
- github.com/elixir-plug/plug/commit/56000c33d8a0a2fbac491f8be06b9c5112bc2276Fixvia CVE List
- github.com/elixir-plug/plug/commit/aeaa90e76b73ea90c3ecca9aae16fce71bd2a8d4Fixvia CVE List
- github.com/elixir-plug/plug_crypto/commit/2d078b7b8264c565f0ff71235c515f4f46882dcfFixvia CVE List
- github.com/elixir-plug/plug_crypto/commit/981887493dada0fce7003c61861c00dfbb0fc8c5Fixvia CVE List
- github.com/elixir-plug/plug/security/advisories/GHSA-ffw9-w85g-f2vhAdvisoryvia CVE List
- cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-105963.htmlReferencevia CVE List
- osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-105963Referencevia CVE List