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UBUNTU-CVE-2022-4450 High

UBUNTU-CVE-2022-4450

The function PEM_read_bio_ex() reads a PEM file from a BIO and parses and decodes the "name" (e.g. "CERTIFICATE"), any header data and the payload data. If the function succeeds then the "name_out", "header" and "data" arguments are populated with pointers to buffers containing the relevant decoded data. The caller is responsible for freeing those buffers. It is possible to construct a PEM file that results in 0 bytes of payload data. In this case PEM_read_bio_ex() will return a failure code but will populate the header argument with a pointer to a buffer that has already been freed. If the caller also frees this buffer then a double free will occur. This will most likely lead to a crash. This could be exploited by an attacker who has the ability to supply malicious PEM files for parsing to achieve a denial of service attack. The functions PEM_read_bio() and PEM_read() are simple wrappers around PEM_read_bio_ex() and therefore these functions are also directly affected. These functions are also called indirectly by a number of other OpenSSL functions including PEM_X509_INFO_read_bio_ex() and SSL_CTX_use_serverinfo_file() which are also vulnerable. Some OpenSSL internal uses of these functions are not vulnerable because the caller does not free the header argument if PEM_read_bio_ex() returns a failure code. These locations include the PEM_read_bio_TYPE() functions as well as the decoders introduced in OpenSSL 3.0. The OpenSSL asn1parse command line application is also impacted by this issue.

Exploit probability Not scored
Published February 7, 2023
Required by Not available
Last source change April 22, 2026

02 / AFFECTED SOFTWARE

Affected packages

Ubuntu:18.04:LTS openssl

25 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:20.04:LTS edk2

15 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:20.04:LTS openssl

18 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:22.04:LTS edk2

13 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:22.04:LTS nodejs

7 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:22.04:LTS openssl

10 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS edk2

7 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS edk2

12 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS-updates:18.04:LTS openssl

12 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS-updates:20.04:LTS openssl

6 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS:18.04:LTS openssl

2 explicit affected versions

Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS:20.04:LTS openssl

2 explicit affected versions

03 / CONNECTIONS

Connected vulnerabilities

04 / EVIDENCE

Source records

Open Source Vulnerabilities UBUNTU-CVE-2022-4450

The function PEM_read_bio_ex() reads a PEM file from a BIO and parses and decodes the "name" (e.g. "CERTIFICATE"), any header data and the payload data. If the function succeeds then the "name_out", "header" and "data" arguments are populated with pointers to buffers containing the relevant decoded data. The caller is responsible for freeing those buffers. It is possible to construct a PEM file that results in 0 bytes of payload data. In this case PEM_read_bio_ex() will return a failure code but will populate the header argument with a pointer to a buffer that has already been freed. If the caller also frees this buffer then a double free will occur. This will most likely lead to a crash. This could be exploited by an attacker who has the ability to supply malicious PEM files for parsing to achieve a denial of service attack. The functions PEM_read_bio() and PEM_read() are simple wrappers around PEM_read_bio_ex() and therefore these functions are also directly affected. These functions are also called indirectly by a number of other OpenSSL functions including PEM_X509_INFO_read_bio_ex() and SSL_CTX_use_serverinfo_file() which are also vulnerable. Some OpenSSL internal uses of these functions are not vulnerable because the caller does not free the header argument if PEM_read_bio_ex() returns a failure code. These locations include the PEM_read_bio_TYPE() functions as well as the decoders introduced in OpenSSL 3.0. The OpenSSL asn1parse command line application is also impacted by this issue.

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05 / REFERENCES

Further evidence