Plaintext recovery via incomplete CBC padding validation
Published Apr 9, 2026 · Updated Apr 9, 2026
Padding oracle in wolfSSL 5.9.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to recover PKCS7 CBC plaintext through repeated decryption queries. The PKCS7 CBC decryption path in wolfcrypt/src/pkcs7.c fails to validate interior padding bytes before accepting the decrypted block, exposing a validity distinction for modified ciphertext. Exploitation requires an application to accept attacker-modified PKCS7 ciphertext and reveal distinguishable decryption outcomes; plaintext disclosure is the only reported consequence.
Summary
What happened
Padding oracle in wolfSSL 5.9.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to recover PKCS7 CBC plaintext through repeated decryption queries. The PKCS7 CBC decryption path in wolfcrypt/src/pkcs7.c fails to validate interior padding bytes before accepting the decrypted block, exposing a validity distinction for modified ciphertext. Exploitation requires an application to accept attacker-modified PKCS7 ciphertext and reveal distinguishable decryption outcomes; plaintext disclosure is the only reported consequence.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-5504
- Published
- Apr 9, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 9, 2026
- Vendor
- wolfSSL
- Product
- wolfSSL
- Classifications
- CWE-354
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 9, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 9, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=5.9.0
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo