CVE-2026-63073
Publication date 25 August 2026
Last updated 2 September 2026
Ubuntu priority
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.
Read the notes from the security team
Why is this CVE low priority?
OpenSSL developers have rated this low severity
Status
| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
|---|---|---|
| openssl | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Fixed 3.5.5-1ubuntu3.4
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| 20.04 LTS focal |
Not affected
|
|
| 18.04 LTS bionic |
Not affected
|
|
| 16.04 LTS xenial |
Not affected
|
|
| 14.04 LTS trusty |
Not affected
|
|
| openssl-fips | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| openssl1.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic |
Not affected
|
|
| nodejs | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| 20.04 LTS focal |
Not affected
|
|
| 18.04 LTS bionic |
Needs evaluation
|
|
| 16.04 LTS xenial |
Needs evaluation
|
|
| 14.04 LTS trusty |
Not affected
|
|
| edk2 | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Needs evaluation
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| 20.04 LTS focal |
Not affected
|
|
| 18.04 LTS bionic |
Not affected
|
|
| 16.04 LTS xenial |
Not affected
|
|
| edk2-hwe | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Needs evaluation
|
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release |
Notes
mdeslaur
edk2 in jammy embeds OpenSSL 1.1.1j edk2 in noble embeds OpenSSL 3.0.9 edk2 in plucky embeds OpenSSL 3.4.0 edk2 in questing embeds OpenSSL 3.4.0 edk2 in resolute embeds OpenSSL 3.5.1 edk2 in stonking embeds OpenSSL 3.5.1 nodejs in jammy embeds OpenSSL 1.1.1m 4.0, 3.6, 3.5, and 3.4 are vulnerable
Severity score breakdown
CVSS version: CVSS v3.0
Base score
9.8 · Critical
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)
- USN-8678-1
- OpenSSL vulnerabilities
- 25 August 2026