CVE-2023-2975

AES-SIV implementation ignores empty associated data entries

Description

Issue summary: The AES-SIV cipher implementation contains a bug that causes it to ignore empty associated data entries which are unauthenticated as a consequence. Impact summary: Applications that use the AES-SIV algorithm and want to authenticate empty data entries as associated data can be misled by removing, adding or reordering such empty entries as these are ignored by the OpenSSL implementation. We are currently unaware of any such applications. The AES-SIV algorithm allows for authentication of multiple associated data entries along with the encryption. To authenticate empty data the application has to call EVP_EncryptUpdate() (or EVP_CipherUpdate()) with NULL pointer as the output buffer and 0 as the input buffer length. The AES-SIV implementation in OpenSSL just returns success for such a call instead of performing the associated data authentication operation. The empty data thus will not be authenticated. As this issue does not affect non-empty associated data authentication and we expect it to be rare for an application to use empty associated data entries this is qualified as Low severity issue.

Categories

5.3
CVSS
Severity: Medium
CVSS 3.1 •
EPSS 0.14%
Vendor Advisory openssl.org
Affected: OpenSSL OpenSSL
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2023-2975?
CVE-2023-2975 has been scored as a medium severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2023-2975?
To fix CVE-2023-2975, make sure you are using an up-to-date version of the affected component(s) by checking the vendor release notes. As for now, there are no other specific guidelines available.
Is CVE-2023-2975 being actively exploited in the wild?
As for now, there are no information to confirm that CVE-2023-2975 is being actively exploited. According to its EPSS score, there is a ~0% probability that this vulnerability will be exploited by malicious actors in the next 30 days.
What software or system is affected by CVE-2023-2975?
CVE-2023-2975 affects OpenSSL OpenSSL.
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