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Discovery of Weak RSA Keys with Patterns of Zeros Raises Security Concerns

Discovery of Weak RSA Keys with Patterns of Zeros Raises Security Concerns

First seen 30 Jun 2026, 00:12 UTC • •
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ThreatCluster •July 1, 2026 at 00:07 UTC
  • •A new class of weak RSA keys with patterns of zeros has been discovered.
  • •The vulnerability affects RSA and DSA keys generated between 2016 and 2023.
  • •Affected organizations include Yahoo, Verizon, and users of CompleteFTP software.

Researchers have identified a new class of weak RSA keys in the wild, characterized by patterns of zeros. These keys were discovered through the badkeys project, which analyzes public keys for vulnerabilities. The affected keys were found in certificates from large organizations like Yahoo and Verizon, as well as on CompleteFTP software for SSH hosts. The vulnerability impacts RSA keys generated between December 2016 and March 2019 and DSA keys generated until December 2023. While the overall number of affected systems is small, the findings indicate a troubling trend in cryptographic implementations. The research emphasizes the need for tailored cryptanalytic approaches to mitigate potential exploitation. The affected organizations have been notified about the vulnerabilities in their expired certificates.

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Timeline

2026-06-29
Weak RSA keys identified in the wild
Researchers found RSA keys with patterns of zeros through the badkeys project, affecting various organizations.
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2026-06-29
Research published on weak RSA keys
The findings were detailed in a blog post by Schneier, highlighting the patterns found in real-world keys.
Schneier
Date unknown
Affected organizations notified
Organizations like Yahoo and Verizon were informed about vulnerabilities in their expired certificates.
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