CVE-2022-2509Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Application crash via signer certificate double free

Published Aug 1, 2022 · Updated Dec 2, 2025

Double free in GnuTLS 3.6.0 through 3.7.6 allows remote attackers to crash applications during PKCS #7 signature verification. When validation against a trust list fails, certificate-chain construction frees the signer certificate, and cleanup frees the same object again. Exploitation requires an application to pass attacker-controlled PKCS #7 data to gnutls_pkcs7_verify; the bounded consequence is an application crash.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.86%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Double free in GnuTLS 3.6.0 through 3.7.6 allows remote attackers to crash applications during PKCS #7 signature verification. When validation against a trust list fails, certificate-chain construction frees the signer certificate, and cleanup frees the same object again. Exploitation requires an application to pass attacker-controlled PKCS #7 data to gnutls_pkcs7_verify; the bounded consequence is an application crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2509
Published
Aug 1, 2022
Updated
Dec 2, 2025
Vendor
GnuTLS Project
Product
GnuTLS
Classifications
CWE-415, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 1, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 2, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=gnutls 3.7.7(Fixed)

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

GnuTLS Project · GnuTLSversion=gnutls 3.7.7(Fixed)

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.5CISA-ADPCVSS: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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-415Double Free
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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