How severe is CVE-2023-38711?

CVE-2023-38711 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-38711 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (48th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-38711?

CVE-2023-38711 affects Libreswan. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-38711?

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

When was CVE-2023-38711 published?

CVE-2023-38711 was published on 2023-08-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-38711

CVE-2023-38711 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Libreswan with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (48th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Libreswan
Published: 2023-08-25
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Libreswan before 4.12. When an IKEv1 Quick Mode connection configured with ID_IPV4_ADDR or ID_IPV6_ADDR receives an IDcr payload with ID_FQDN, a NULL pointer dereference causes a crash and restart of the pluto daemon. NOTE: the earliest affected version is 4.6.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-38711?: An issue was discovered in Libreswan before 4.12. When an IKEv1 Quick Mode connection configured with ID_IPV4_ADDR or ID_IPV6_ADDR receives an IDcr payload with ID_FQDN, a NULL pointer dereference causes a crash and restart of the pluto daemon. NOTE: the earliest affected version is 4.6.
How severe is CVE-2023-38711?: CVE-2023-38711 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-38711 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (48th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-38711?: CVE-2023-38711 affects Libreswan. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-38711?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-38711 published?: CVE-2023-38711 was published on 2023-08-25 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:libreswan:libreswan:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2026-31657 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: batman-adv: hold claim backbone gateways by…
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Browse all CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) vulnerabilities →