How severe is CVE-2023-5981?

CVE-2023-5981 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2023-5981 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (66th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-5981?

CVE-2023-5981 primarily affects Redhat Linux. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-5981?

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

When was CVE-2023-5981 published?

CVE-2023-5981 was published on 2023-11-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-5981

CVE-2023-5981 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. 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-208.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (66th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-208
Affected product: Redhat Linux
Published: 2023-11-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability was found that the response times to malformed ciphertexts in RSA-PSK ClientKeyExchange differ from response times of ciphertexts with correct PKCS#1 v1.5 padding.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-5981?: A vulnerability was found that the response times to malformed ciphertexts in RSA-PSK ClientKeyExchange differ from response times of ciphertexts with correct PKCS#1 v1.5 padding.
How severe is CVE-2023-5981?: CVE-2023-5981 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-5981 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (66th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-5981?: CVE-2023-5981 primarily affects Redhat Linux. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-5981?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-5981 published?: CVE-2023-5981 was published on 2023-11-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:gnutls:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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