# What is CVE-2023-0286?

> CVE-2023-0286 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.4) in OpenSSL, published on 8 February 2023. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 71%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.

Canonical page: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/what-is/cve-2023-0286

## At a glance

- **Verdict:** Fix this soon. Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month.
- **Precursor Intelligence risk score:** 57 out of 100 (Medium); action: Plan remediation. Kept up to date as the evidence changes.
- **Severity:** High (CVSS 7.4 out of 10)
- **Known to be exploited:** No, not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today
- **Chance of use in the next 30 days:** 71% (latest exploit-likelihood forecast)
- **Published:** 8 February 2023
- **Record last updated:** 4 November 2025
- **Main product:** OpenSSL
- **Affected products:** 3

## What is CVE-2023-0286? In plain terms

It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data and take it offline.

### The official description

There is a type confusion vulnerability relating to X.400 address processing
inside an X.509 GeneralName. X.400 addresses were parsed as an ASN1_STRING but
the public structure definition for GENERAL_NAME incorrectly specified the type
of the x400Address field as ASN1_TYPE. This field is subsequently interpreted by
the OpenSSL function GENERAL_NAME_cmp as an ASN1_TYPE rather than an
ASN1_STRING.

When CRL checking is enabled (i.e. the application sets the
X509_V_FLAG_CRL_CHECK flag), this vulnerability may allow an attacker to pass
arbitrary pointers to a memcmp call, enabling them to read memory contents or
enact a denial of service. In most cases, the attack requires the attacker to
provide both the certificate chain and CRL, neither of which need to have a
valid signature. If the attacker only controls one of these inputs, the other
input must already contain an X.400 address as a CRL distribution point, which
is uncommon. As such, this vulnerability is most likely to only affect
applications which have implemented their own functionality for retrieving CRLs
over a network.

### What kind of flaw is it?

- CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')

### How an attack on it works

- Where an attacker can be: Anywhere on the internet
- How hard it is to pull off: Hard: conditions must line up
- Login needed first: No login needed
- Does someone have to click: No, nobody has to do anything
- What an attacker gets: Can read data and take it offline

Severity vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H`

## Is CVE-2023-0286 being exploited? Not that we know of

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 71%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

Exploit likelihood over the last 7 days: 60%, 60%, 60%, 62%, 71%, 71%, 71%.

### Timeline

- 8 February 2023: Published
- 1 August 2025: Exploit likelihood fell
- 4 November 2025: Record last updated
- 22 November 2025: Exploit likelihood jumped

### How Precursor Intelligence ranks it

CVE-2023-0286 scores **57 out of 100 (Medium)**, with the action "Plan remediation".

Every published flaw gets a risk score from 0 to 100, kept up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, from the one that counts most to the ones that count less:

- Evidence it is being exploited: biggest factor
- How severe it is: strong factor
- How widely exposed it is: smaller factor
- Threat activity around it: smaller factor

85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score. When this flaw matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.

## Who is affected by CVE-2023-0286?

The published record lists 3 products. Versions are as published: "1.0.2 to before 1.0.2zg" means from 1.0.2 up to, but not including, 1.0.2zg.

- [OpenSSL](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/openssl/openssl) by [OpenSSL](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/openssl) (Application): 1.0.2 to before 1.0.2zg, 1.1.1 to before 1.1.1t, 3.0.0 to before 3.0.8
- [Stormshield Network Security](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/stormshield/stormshield_network_security) by [Stormshield](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/stormshield) (Application): 2.7.0 to before 2.7.11, 2.8.0 to before 3.7.34, 3.8.0 to before 3.11.22, 4.0.0 to before 4.3.16, 4.4.0 to before 4.6.3
- [Stormshield Management Center](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/stormshield/stormshield_management_center) by [Stormshield](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/stormshield) (Application): before 3.3.3

## How do I fix CVE-2023-0286?

1. **Check whether you run it.** Compare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
2. **Apply the vendor’s fix.** Install the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisories and patch notes first in the list.
3. **If you can’t patch today.** Follow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
4. **Keep an eye on it.** Track the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.

### References

- [git.openssl.org](https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git;a=commitdiff;h=2c6c9d439b484e1ba9830d8454a34fa4f80fdfe9) (Patch, Vendor advisory)
- [git.openssl.org](https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git;a=commitdiff;h=2f7530077e0ef79d98718138716bc51ca0cad658) (Patch, Vendor advisory)
- [git.openssl.org](https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git;a=commitdiff;h=fd2af07dc083a350c959147097003a14a5e8ac4d) (Patch, Vendor advisory)
- [openssl.org](https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20230207.txt) (Vendor advisory)
- [ftp.openbsd.org](https://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/LibreSSL/libressl-3.6.2-relnotes.txt) (Third-party advisory)
- [ftp.openbsd.org](https://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/patches/7.2/common/018_x509.patch.sig) (Third-party advisory)
- [security.gentoo.org](https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202402-08)
- [psirt.global.sonicwall.com](https://psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/SNWLID-2023-0003)

## Questions

### What is CVE-2023-0286?

CVE-2023-0286 is a high-severity flaw in OpenSSL, published on 8 February 2023. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data and take it offline.

### How serious is CVE-2023-0286?

It scores 7.4 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is high. Our risk score for CVE-2023-0286 is 57 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month.

### Is CVE-2023-0286 being exploited?

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 71%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

### Which versions does CVE-2023-0286 affect?

For OpenSSL: 1.0.2 to before 1.0.2zg, 1.1.1 to before 1.1.1t, 3.0.0 to before 3.0.8. The record lists 3 products in all, each with its versions, under "Who is affected" on this page.

### How do I fix CVE-2023-0286?

Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.

## Does CVE-2023-0286 affect you?

Precursor Intelligence keeps checking for you:

- **Tell us what you run.** Pick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
- **We match it to every flaw.** Over 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
- **Ranked by real-world risk.** Every flaw gets a 0 to 100 risk score, kept up to date, led by evidence criminals are using it.
- **Told as soon as we know.** An alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.

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