Service interruption via uncleared OpenSSL errors
Published Feb 23, 2023 · Updated Apr 30, 2025
Cryptographic error handling in Node.js before 14.21.3, 16.19.1, 18.14.1, or 19.2.0 allows remote attackers to interrupt service. The crypto library fails to clear OpenSSL's thread-local error queue after X509_check_private_key() and X509_verify() process invalid inputs, so later cryptographic calls on the same thread fail spuriously. Exploitation requires attacker-controlled certificate material to reach an affected cryptographic operation; the documented consequence is denial of service, not data disclosure or modification.
Summary
What happened
Cryptographic error handling in Node.js before 14.21.3, 16.19.1, 18.14.1, or 19.2.0 allows remote attackers to interrupt service. The crypto library fails to clear OpenSSL's thread-local error queue after X509_check_private_key() and X509_verify() process invalid inputs, so later cryptographic calls on the same thread fail spuriously. Exploitation requires attacker-controlled certificate material to reach an affected cryptographic operation; the documented consequence is denial of service, not data disclosure or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-23919
- Published
- Feb 23, 2023
- Updated
- Apr 30, 2025
- Vendor
- Node.js
- Product
- Node.js
- Classifications
- CWE-310, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 23, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 30, 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.
- Affected versionversion=10.0 <10.*
- Affected versionversion=11.0 <11.*
- Affected versionversion=12.0 <12.*
- Affected versionversion=13.0 <13.*
- Affected versionversion=14.0 <14.21.3
- Affected versionversion=15.0 <15.*
- Affected versionversion=16.0 <16.19.1
- Affected versionversion=17.0 <17.*
- Affected versionversion=18.0 <18.14.1
- Affected versionversion=19.0 <19.2.0
- Affected versionversion=4.0 <4.*
- Affected versionversion=5.0 <5.*
- Affected versionversion=6.0 <6.*
- Affected versionversion=7.0 <7.*
- Affected versionversion=8.0 <8.*
- Affected versionversion=9.0 <9.*
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- HackerOne report 1808596 proof of conceptproof of concept · unverified
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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