CVE-2023-0401 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE record was published by OpenSSL on February 8, 2023, affecting versions of OpenSSL prior to 3.0.8. The vulnerability involves a NULL pointer dereference during PKCS7 data verification.

Understanding CVE-2023-0401

This section provides insight into the nature of the CVE-2023-0401 vulnerability and its potential impact.

What is CVE-2023-0401?

CVE-2023-0401 involves a scenario where a NULL pointer can be dereferenced during the verification of signatures on PKCS7 signed or signedAndEnveloped data. The vulnerability arises due to a missing check for the return value from the initialization function, leading to potential crashes.

The Impact of CVE-2023-0401

The impact of this vulnerability is moderate, as it can result in invalid usage of the digest API, potentially causing system crashes. The vulnerability can affect applications utilizing PKCS7 data for signature verification, particularly third-party applications that call the affected functions.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-0401

This section provides more technical details about the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems and versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability occurs when the hash algorithm used for signatures is known to OpenSSL, but the hash algorithm's implementation is unavailable. This leads to digest initialization failure and a subsequent NULL pointer dereference, potentially resulting in crashes.

Affected Systems and Versions

OpenSSL versions prior to 3.0.8 are vulnerable to this NULL pointer dereference issue during PKCS7 data verification.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability stems from a missing check for the return value from the initialization function, which can lead to improper usage of the digest API and crashes in scenarios where the hash algorithm implementation is not available.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-0401, it is crucial to take immediate steps, implement long-term security practices, and apply necessary patches and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users and administrators should update their OpenSSL installations to version 3.0.8 or above to mitigate the vulnerability. Additionally, they should review and validate signature verification processes in applications that utilize PKCS7 data.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, regular security audits, and staying informed about security advisories can help prevent and mitigate similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Patching and Updates

The OpenSSL Advisory provides detailed information on the vulnerability and necessary patches. Users should refer to the provided links to access the relevant advisories and apply the recommended updates promptly.