Critical severity · published Aug 25, 2026
CVE-2026-63073
Untrusted Sender DN Used as Format String in CMP Response Validation
9.8
CVSS
1.2%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
Issue summary: OpenSSL CMP response validation passed an unexpected response
sender distinguished name directly as the format string to `ERR_raise_data()`.
Impact summary: A malicious or intercepted CMP endpoint can crash a CMP client
that enforces an expected sender or uses a pinned server certificate whose
subject becomes the default expected sender.
CWE: CWE-134 (Use of Externally-Controlled Format String)
Description: When validating a received CMP message, ossl_cmp_msg_check_update()
converts the peer-supplied sender distinguished name with X509_NAME_oneline()
and passes it directly as the format argument to ERR_raise_data(). Percent
characters survive the conversion, so a sender DN such as "CN=%s%n" reaches
BIO_vsnprintf() as an attacker-controlled format string with no matching variadic
arguments. This path is only reached when the caller configures an expected
sender or pins a server certificate, which is the normal configuration for a
CMP client validating server responses.
Since the attacker controls the format string but none of the variadic
arguments, such specifiers as %s and %n dereference or write through unrelated
stack contents and crash the client. The reliable consequence is a denial of
service, when the response comes from a malicious or intercepted CMP endpoint.
There is no controlled memory write, arbitrary-address read, or reliable path
to remote code execution.
FIPS impact: no
No FIPS modules are affected by this issue, as the CMP protocol
implementation is outside the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)1.2% · higher than 67% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
OP
OpenSSL · OpenSSL
4.0.0 before 4.0.2; 3.6.0 before 3.6.4; 3.5.0 before 3.5.8; 3.4.0 before 3.4.7 · source: vendor, NVD
In the news
VulnerabilityMedium
ZDI-26-789: OpenSSL CMP Use of Externally-Controlled Format String Information Disclosure Vulnerability
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of OpenSSL. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The ZDI has assigned a CVSS rating of 6.5. The following CVEs are assigned: CVE-2026-63073.
Oct 22, 2026·Zero Day Initiative
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-63073
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-63073
Patch
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/0cc20b322639919aa423e90799d9a57c3b4b76ca
Patch
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/6a0acc072b4d37a7cac1252a29c1ce1f00c5ec29
Patch
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/7eb2e3ec9d1d4f35c8022fccd4b03398b3f33e21
Patch
https://github.com/openssl/openssl/commit/a7e5a6eea8fd3ccca6b6fbba031a5fbf8a3d93b4
Vendor Advisory
https://openssl-library.org/news/secadv/20260825.txt
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