CVE-2026-53762
Received Received - Intake

Weakened Key Derivation in VeraCrypt with WOLFCRYPT=1

Publication date: 2026-08-21

Last updated on: 2026-08-21

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
VeraCrypt provides disk encryption with strong security based on TrueCrypt. Prior to 1.26.29, non-default builds created with WOLFCRYPT=1 and WOLFCRYPT_BACKEND route SHA-256 and SHA-512 volume-header key derivation through derive_key_sha256 and derive_key_sha512 in src/Crypto/wolfCrypt.c, where the configured iterations value is discarded and wc_HKDF is used instead of PBKDF2-HMAC. Changing the PIM or iteration count therefore does not increase derivation cost, allowing an attacker with an affected container, disk image, or volume header to perform substantially cheaper offline password guesses. Official precompiled VeraCrypt binaries and normal distribution packages use the standard PBKDF2 backend and are not affected. Volumes created by an affected WOLFCRYPT=1 build require backup and recreation because corrected builds derive different keys. This issue is fixed in version 1.26.29.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-21
Last Modified
2026-08-21
Generated
2026-08-21
AI Q&A
2026-08-21
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-53762
EUVD
EUVD-2026-64056

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
veracrypt veracrypt 1.26.29

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-916 The product generates a hash for a password, but it uses a scheme that does not provide a sufficient level of computational effort that would make password cracking attacks infeasible or expensive.

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-53762 affects VeraCrypt versions prior to 1.26.29 when built with WOLFCRYPT=1. It causes SHA-256 and SHA-512 volume-header key derivation to use HKDF instead of PBKDF2-HMAC, ignoring configured iterations or PIM values. This weakens security by allowing faster offline password guessing attacks on affected volumes.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check if you are using a VeraCrypt build compiled with WOLFCRYPT=1. Inspect build flags or compile-time options. Affected volumes will require recreation after upgrading to version 1.26.29 or later.

Impact Analysis

If you use a custom VeraCrypt build with WOLFCRYPT=1, attackers could perform offline password guesses much faster than intended. You must back up data and recreate volumes before upgrading to 1.26.29, as the fix changes key derivation and old volumes won't mount.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability reduces the effectiveness of password-based encryption in non-default VeraCrypt builds using WOLFCRYPT=1, allowing cheaper offline password guesses. This could weaken data protection measures required by GDPR and HIPAA, potentially leading to unauthorized access if weak passwords are used. Affected volumes must be recreated to restore proper security.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately upgrade to VeraCrypt 1.26.29 or later. If you used a WOLFCRYPT=1 build, back up data and recreate affected volumes before upgrading, as the fix changes key derivation methods.

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