// For flags

CVE-2023-0215

Use-after-free following BIO_new_NDEF

Severity Score

7.5
*CVSS v3.1

Exploit Likelihood

*EPSS

Affected Versions

*CPE

Public Exploits

0
*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

-
*KEV

Decision

-
*SSVC
Descriptions

The public API function BIO_new_NDEF is a helper function used for streaming
ASN.1 data via a BIO. It is primarily used internally to OpenSSL to support the
SMIME, CMS and PKCS7 streaming capabilities, but may also be called directly by
end user applications.

The function receives a BIO from the caller, prepends a new BIO_f_asn1 filter
BIO onto the front of it to form a BIO chain, and then returns the new head of
the BIO chain to the caller. Under certain conditions, for example if a CMS
recipient public key is invalid, the new filter BIO is freed and the function
returns a NULL result indicating a failure. However, in this case, the BIO chain
is not properly cleaned up and the BIO passed by the caller still retains
internal pointers to the previously freed filter BIO. If the caller then goes on
to call BIO_pop() on the BIO then a use-after-free will occur. This will most
likely result in a crash.



This scenario occurs directly in the internal function B64_write_ASN1() which
may cause BIO_new_NDEF() to be called and will subsequently call BIO_pop() on
the BIO. This internal function is in turn called by the public API functions
PEM_write_bio_ASN1_stream, PEM_write_bio_CMS_stream, PEM_write_bio_PKCS7_stream,
SMIME_write_ASN1, SMIME_write_CMS and SMIME_write_PKCS7.

Other public API functions that may be impacted by this include
i2d_ASN1_bio_stream, BIO_new_CMS, BIO_new_PKCS7, i2d_CMS_bio_stream and
i2d_PKCS7_bio_stream.

The OpenSSL cms and smime command line applications are similarly affected.

A use-after-free vulnerability was found in OpenSSL's BIO_new_NDEF function. The public API function BIO_new_NDEF is a helper function used for streaming ASN.1 data via a BIO. It is primarily used internally by OpenSSL to support the SMIME, CMS, and PKCS7 streaming capabilities, but it may also be called directly by end-user applications. The function receives a BIO from the caller, prepends a new BIO_f_asn1 filter BIO onto the front of it to form a BIO chain, and then returns the new head of the BIO chain to the caller. Under certain conditions. For example, if a CMS recipient public key is invalid, the new filter BIO is freed, and the function returns a NULL result indicating a failure. However, in this case, the BIO chain is not properly cleaned up, and the BIO passed by the caller still retains internal pointers to the previously freed filter BIO. If the caller then calls BIO_pop() on the BIO, a use-after-free will occur, possibly resulting in a crash.

*Credits: Octavio Galland (Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy), Marcel Böhme (Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy), Viktor Dukhovni, Matt Caswell
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2023-01-11 CVE Reserved
  • 2023-02-07 CVE Published
  • 2024-08-02 CVE Updated
  • 2024-09-29 EPSS Updated
  • ---------- Exploited in Wild
  • ---------- KEV Due Date
  • ---------- First Exploit
CWE
  • CWE-416: Use After Free
CAPEC
Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions
Vendor Product Version Other Status
Vendor Product Version Other Status <-- --> Vendor Product Version Other Status
Openssl
Search vendor "Openssl"
Openssl
Search vendor "Openssl" for product "Openssl"
>= 1.0.2 < 1.0.2zg
Search vendor "Openssl" for product "Openssl" and version " >= 1.0.2 < 1.0.2zg"
-
Affected
Openssl
Search vendor "Openssl"
Openssl
Search vendor "Openssl" for product "Openssl"
>= 1.1.1 < 1.1.1t
Search vendor "Openssl" for product "Openssl" and version " >= 1.1.1 < 1.1.1t"
-
Affected
Openssl
Search vendor "Openssl"
Openssl
Search vendor "Openssl" for product "Openssl"
>= 3.0.0 < 3.0.8
Search vendor "Openssl" for product "Openssl" and version " >= 3.0.0 < 3.0.8"
-
Affected
Stormshield
Search vendor "Stormshield"
Stormshield Management Center
Search vendor "Stormshield" for product "Stormshield Management Center"
< 3.3.3
Search vendor "Stormshield" for product "Stormshield Management Center" and version " < 3.3.3"
-
Affected