Vulnerability · Published Aug 25, 2026 · Assigned by openssl
CVE-2026-63073Untrusted Sender DN Used as Format String in CMP Response Validation
Critical 9.8
In plain English
A critical-severity security flaw in OpenSSL from OpenSSL. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 1.2% (higher than 67% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official description
Issue summary: OpenSSL CMP response validation passed an unexpected response sender distinguished name directly as the format string to `ERR_raise_data()`. Impact summary: A malicious or intercepted CMP endpoint can crash a CMP client that enforces an expected sender or uses a pinned server certificate whose subject becomes the default expected sender. CWE: CWE-134 (Use of Externally-Controlled Format String) Description: When validating a received CMP message, ossl_cmp_msg_check_update() converts the peer-supplied sender distinguished name with X509_NAME_oneline() and passes it directly as the format argument to ERR_raise_data(). Percent characters survive the conversion, so a sender DN such as "CN=%s%n" reaches BIO_vsnprintf() as an attacker-controlled format string with no matching variadic arguments. This path is only reached when the caller configures an expected sender or pins a server certificate, which is the normal configuration for a CMP client validating server responses. Since the attacker controls the format string but none of the variadic arguments, such specifiers as %s and %n dereference or write through unrelated stack contents and crash the client. The reliable consequence is a denial of service, when the response comes from a malicious or intercepted CMP endpoint. There is no controlled memory write, arbitrary-address read, or reliable path to remote code execution. FIPS impact: no No FIPS modules are affected by this issue, as the CMP protocol implementation is outside the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux:10 | openssl | 1:3.5.8-1.el10_2.alma.1 | ALSA-2026:67154 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | openssl | 1:3.5.8-1.el9_8 | ALSA-2026:67165 |
| AlmaLinux:10 | openssl-devel | 1:3.5.8-1.el10_2.alma.1 | ALSA-2026:67154 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | openssl-devel | 1:3.5.8-1.el9_8 | ALSA-2026:67165 |
| AlmaLinux:10 | openssl-libs | 1:3.5.8-1.el10_2.alma.1 | ALSA-2026:67154 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | openssl-libs | 1:3.5.8-1.el9_8 | ALSA-2026:67165 |
| AlmaLinux:10 | openssl-perl | 1:3.5.8-1.el10_2.alma.1 | ALSA-2026:67154 |
| AlmaLinux:9 | openssl-perl | 1:3.5.8-1.el9_8 | ALSA-2026:67165 |
| Alpine:v3.21 | openssl | 3.3.7-r1 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Alpine:v3.22 | openssl | 3.5.8-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Alpine:v3.23 | openssl | 3.5.8-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Alpine:v3.24 | openssl | 3.5.8-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Debian:13 | openssl | 3.5.7-1~deb13u2 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Debian:14 | openssl | 3.6.4-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Rocky Linux:10 | openssl | 1:3.5.8-1.el10_2 | RLSA-2026:67154 |
| Rocky Linux:9 | openssl | 1:3.5.8-1.el9_8 | RLSA-2026:67165 |
| Ubuntu:26.04:LTS | edk2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Ubuntu:26.10 | edk2 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Ubuntu:26.04:LTS | edk2-hwe | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Ubuntu:26.10 | edk2-hwe | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-63073 |
| Ubuntu:22.04:LTS | openssl | 3.0.2-0ubuntu1.29 | USN-8678-1 |
| Ubuntu:24.04:LTS | openssl | 3.0.13-0ubuntu3.15 | USN-8678-1 |
| Ubuntu:26.04:LTS | openssl | 3.5.5-1ubuntu3.4 | USN-8678-1 |
| Ubuntu:26.04:LTS | openssl | 3.5.5-1ubuntu3.4 | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-63073 |
Affected products (as reported)
Weakness: CWE-134 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- OpenSSL Advisory vendor-advisory
- 4.0.2 git commit patch
- 3.6.4 git commit patch
- 3.5.8 git commit patch
- 3.4.7 git commit patch