How severe is CVE-2011-4574?

CVE-2011-4574 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2011-4574 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (60th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2011-4574?

CVE-2011-4574 affects Polarssl. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2011-4574?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2011-4574 published?

CVE-2011-4574 was published on 2021-10-27 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2011-4574

CVE-2011-4574 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Polarssl with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-338.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (60th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-338
Affected product: Polarssl
Published: 2021-10-27
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

PolarSSL versions prior to v1.1 use the HAVEGE random number generation algorithm. At its heart, this uses timing information based on the processor's high resolution timer (the RDTSC instruction). This instruction can be virtualized, and some virtual machine hosts have chosen to disable this instruction, returning 0s or predictable results.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2011-4574?: PolarSSL versions prior to v1.1 use the HAVEGE random number generation algorithm. At its heart, this uses timing information based on the processor's high resolution timer (the RDTSC instruction). This instruction can be virtualized, and some virtual machine hosts have chosen to disable this instruction, returning 0s or predictable results.
How severe is CVE-2011-4574?: CVE-2011-4574 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2011-4574 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (60th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2011-4574?: CVE-2011-4574 affects Polarssl. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2011-4574?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2011-4574 published?: CVE-2011-4574 was published on 2021-10-27 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

https://tls.mbed.org/tech-updates/security-advisories/polarssl-security-advisory-2011-02

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:polarssl:polarssl:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Polarssl

CVE-2014-9744 — High (CVSS 7.8): Memory leak in PolarSSL before 1.3.9 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via a…
CVE-2014-8628 — High (CVSS 7.8): Memory leak in PolarSSL before 1.2.12 and 1.3.x before 1.3.9 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service…
CVE-2015-1182 — High (CVSS 7.5): The asn1_get_sequence_of function in library/asn1parse.c in PolarSSL 1.0 through 1.2.12 and 1.3.x through 1.3.9 does…
CVE-2012-2130 — High (CVSS 7.4): A Security Bypass vulnerability exists in PolarSSL 0.99pre4 through 1.1.1 due to a weak encryption error when…
CVE-2015-8036 — Medium (CVSS 6.8): Heap-based buffer overflow in ARM mbed TLS (formerly PolarSSL) 1.3.x before 1.3.14 and 2.x before 2.1.2 allows remote…
CVE-2015-5291 — Medium (CVSS 6.8): Heap-based buffer overflow in PolarSSL 1.x before 1.2.17 and ARM mbed TLS (formerly PolarSSL) 1.3.x before 1.3.14 and…

All CVEs affecting Polarssl →

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