// For flags

CVE-2023-0401

NULL dereference during PKCS7 data verification

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

A NULL pointer can be dereferenced when signatures are being
verified on PKCS7 signed or signedAndEnveloped data. In case the hash
algorithm used for the signature is known to the OpenSSL library but
the implementation of the hash algorithm is not available the digest
initialization will fail. There is a missing check for the return
value from the initialization function which later leads to invalid
usage of the digest API most likely leading to a crash.

The unavailability of an algorithm can be caused by using FIPS
enabled configuration of providers or more commonly by not loading
the legacy provider.

PKCS7 data is processed by the SMIME library calls and also by the
time stamp (TS) library calls. The TLS implementation in OpenSSL does
not call these functions however third party applications would be
affected if they call these functions to verify signatures on untrusted
data.

A NULL pointer vulnerability was found in OpenSSL, which can be dereferenced when signatures are being verified on PKCS7 signed or signedAndEnveloped data. In case the hash algorithm used for the signature is known to the OpenSSL library but the implementation of the hash algorithm is not available, the digest initialization will fail. There is a missing check for the return value from the initialization function which later leads to invalid usage of the digest API, most likely leading to a crash.

*Credits: Hubert Kario (Red Hat), Dmitry Belyavsky (Red Hat), Tomáš Mráz
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
  • 2023-01-19 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-476: NULL Pointer Dereference
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"
 >= 3.0.0 <= 3.0.7
Search vendor "Openssl" for product "Openssl" and version " >= 3.0.0 <= 3.0.7"
-
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