CVE-2019-17185Network attack vector

Remote service crash via shared cryptographic context

Published Mar 21, 2020 · Updated Aug 5, 2024

Denial of service in FreeRADIUS 3.0.x before 3.0.20 allows remote attackers to crash the server via concurrent EAP-pwd handshakes. The EAP-pwd module shares one global OpenSSL BN_CTX among request threads, so simultaneous cryptographic operations race on the same context state. The module must be enabled and reachable by multiple clients, and successful abuse interrupts RADIUS authentication by crashing the daemon.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability2.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in FreeRADIUS 3.0.x before 3.0.20 allows remote attackers to crash the server via concurrent EAP-pwd handshakes. The EAP-pwd module shares one global OpenSSL BN_CTX among request threads, so simultaneous cryptographic operations race on the same context state. The module must be enabled and reachable by multiple clients, and successful abuse interrupts RADIUS authentication by crashing the daemon.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-17185
Published
Mar 21, 2020
Updated
Aug 5, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-662, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 21, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.0NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
7.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-662Improper Synchronization
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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