Resource Exhaustion Affecting openssl package, versions <1:1.1.1k-12.el8_6


Severity

Recommended
low

Based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux security rating.

Threat Intelligence

EPSS
0.14% (52nd percentile)

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  • Snyk IDSNYK-RHEL8-OPENSSL-6154825
  • published12 Jan 2024
  • disclosed19 Jul 2023

Introduced: 19 Jul 2023

CVE-2023-3446  (opens in a new tab)
CWE-400  (opens in a new tab)

How to fix?

Upgrade RHEL:8 openssl to version 1:1.1.1k-12.el8_6 or higher.
This issue was patched in RHSA-2024:0208.

NVD Description

Note: Versions mentioned in the description apply only to the upstream openssl package and not the openssl package as distributed by RHEL. See How to fix? for RHEL:8 relevant fixed versions and status.

Issue summary: Checking excessively long DH keys or parameters may be very slow.

Impact summary: Applications that use the functions DH_check(), DH_check_ex() or EVP_PKEY_param_check() to check a DH key or DH parameters may experience long delays. Where the key or parameters that are being checked have been obtained from an untrusted source this may lead to a Denial of Service.

The function DH_check() performs various checks on DH parameters. One of those checks confirms that the modulus ('p' parameter) is not too large. Trying to use a very large modulus is slow and OpenSSL will not normally use a modulus which is over 10,000 bits in length.

However the DH_check() function checks numerous aspects of the key or parameters that have been supplied. Some of those checks use the supplied modulus value even if it has already been found to be too large.

An application that calls DH_check() and supplies a key or parameters obtained from an untrusted source could be vulernable to a Denial of Service attack.

The function DH_check() is itself called by a number of other OpenSSL functions. An application calling any of those other functions may similarly be affected. The other functions affected by this are DH_check_ex() and EVP_PKEY_param_check().

Also vulnerable are the OpenSSL dhparam and pkeyparam command line applications when using the '-check' option.

The OpenSSL SSL/TLS implementation is not affected by this issue. The OpenSSL 3.0 and 3.1 FIPS providers are not affected by this issue.

CVSS Scores

version 3.1