How severe is CVE-2023-33202?

CVE-2023-33202 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-33202 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (56th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-33202?

CVE-2023-33202 primarily affects Bouncycastle Bouncy Castle For Java. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-33202?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2023-33202 published?

CVE-2023-33202 was published on 2023-11-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-33202

CVE-2023-33202 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Bouncycastle Bouncy Castle For Java with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-400.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (56th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected product: Bouncycastle Bouncy Castle For Java
Published: 2023-11-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.73 contains a potential Denial of Service (DoS) issue within the Bouncy Castle org.bouncycastle.openssl.PEMParser class. This class parses OpenSSL PEM encoded streams containing X.509 certificates, PKCS8 encoded keys, and PKCS7 objects. Parsing a file that has crafted ASN.1 data through the PEMParser causes an OutOfMemoryError, which can enable a denial of service attack. (For users of the FIPS Java API: BC-FJA 1.0.2.3 and earlier are affected; BC-FJA 1.0.2.4 is fixed.)

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-33202?: Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.73 contains a potential Denial of Service (DoS) issue within the Bouncy Castle org.bouncycastle.openssl.PEMParser class. This class parses OpenSSL PEM encoded streams containing X.509 certificates, PKCS8 encoded keys, and PKCS7 objects. Parsing a file that has crafted ASN.1 data through the PEMParser causes an OutOfMemoryError, which can enable a denial of service attack. (For users of the FIPS Java API: BC-FJA 1.0.2.3 and earlier are affected; BC-FJA 1.0.2.4 is fixed.)
How severe is CVE-2023-33202?: CVE-2023-33202 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-33202 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (56th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-33202?: CVE-2023-33202 primarily affects Bouncycastle Bouncy Castle For Java. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-33202?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-33202 published?: CVE-2023-33202 was published on 2023-11-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:bouncycastle:bouncy_castle_for_java:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:bouncycastle:fips_java_api:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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