CVE-2023-51787Network attack vector

Remote memory exhaustion via incomplete OpenSSL task cleanup

Published Feb 15, 2024 · Updated Mar 18, 2025

Memory leak in OpenSSL task cleanup in Wind River VxWorks 7 22.09 and 23.03 allows remote attackers to exhaust limited per-task memory. When a VxWorks task or POSIX thread that has used OpenSSL exits, its limited per-task allocation is not freed and remains consumed. The public record does not disclose the remote trigger for context termination; the bounded consequence is retained memory and eventual service interruption.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.49%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in OpenSSL task cleanup in Wind River VxWorks 7 22.09 and 23.03 allows remote attackers to exhaust limited per-task memory. When a VxWorks task or POSIX thread that has used OpenSSL exits, its limited per-task allocation is not freed and remains consumed. The public record does not disclose the remote trigger for context termination; the bounded consequence is retained memory and eventual service interruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-51787
Published
Feb 15, 2024
Updated
Mar 18, 2025
Vendor
Wind River
Product
VxWorks
Classifications
CWE-200, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 15, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 18, 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=23.03
  2. Affected versionversion=7_22.09

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Wind River · VxWorksversion=23.03; version=7_22.09

Published CVSS scores

7.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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-200Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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