CVE-2022-4203

CVE-2022-4203 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Openssl with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9. 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-125.

Key facts

Description

A read buffer overrun can be triggered in X.509 certificate verification, specifically in name constraint checking. Note that this occurs after certificate chain signature verification and requires either a CA to have signed the malicious certificate or for the application to continue certificate verification despite failure to construct a path to a trusted issuer. The read buffer overrun might result in a crash which could lead to a denial of service attack. In theory it could also result in the disclosure of private memory contents (such as private keys, or sensitive plaintext) although we are not aware of any working exploit leading to memory contents disclosure as of the time of release of this advisory. In a TLS client, this can be triggered by connecting to a malicious server. In a TLS server, this can be triggered if the server requests client authentication and a malicious client connects.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-4203?
A read buffer overrun can be triggered in X.509 certificate verification, specifically in name constraint checking. Note that this occurs after certificate chain signature verification and requires either a CA to have signed the malicious certificate or for the application to continue certificate verification despite failure to construct a path to a trusted issuer. The read buffer overrun might result in a crash which could lead to a denial of service attack. In theory it could also result in the disclosure of private memory contents (such as private keys, or sensitive plaintext) although we are not aware of any working exploit leading to memory contents disclosure as of the time of release of this advisory. In a TLS client, this can be triggered by connecting to a malicious server. In a TLS server, this can be triggered if the server requests client authentication and a malicious client connects.
How severe is CVE-2022-4203?
CVE-2022-4203 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2022-4203 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (71st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-4203?
CVE-2022-4203 affects Openssl. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-4203?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2022-4203 published?
CVE-2022-4203 was published on 2023-02-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE: