CVE-2022-38153Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Client crash via oversized session ticket invalid free

Published Aug 31, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Invalid free in wolfSSL 5.3.0 allows man-in-the-middle attackers to crash TLS 1.2 clients during a handshake. AddSessionToCache overwrites a cached WOLFSSL_SESSION with an oversized ticket but retains cacheTicBuff pointing to the destination's static ticket buffer, which it then passes to XFREE. Exploitation requires session-ticket support, a populated matching cache bucket, and a ticket over 256 bytes; a malicious TLS 1.3 server can trigger the client crash, but a TLS 1.3 man-in-the-middle attacker cannot.

CVSS severity5.9
Medium
EPSS probability2.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Invalid free in wolfSSL 5.3.0 allows man-in-the-middle attackers to crash TLS 1.2 clients during a handshake. AddSessionToCache overwrites a cached WOLFSSL_SESSION with an oversized ticket but retains cacheTicBuff pointing to the destination's static ticket buffer, which it then passes to XFREE. Exploitation requires session-ticket support, a populated matching cache bucket, and a ticket over 256 bytes; a malicious TLS 1.3 server can trigger the client crash, but a TLS 1.3 man-in-the-middle attacker cannot.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-38153
Published
Aug 31, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-770, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 31, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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

5.9NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.9UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-770Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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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