Internally libssl in OpenSSL calls X509_verify_cert() on the client side to verify a certificate supplied by a server. That function may return a negative return value to indicate an internal error (for example out of memory). Such a negative return value is mishandled by OpenSSL and will cause an IO function (such as SSL_connect() or SSL_do_handshake()) to not indicate success and a subsequent call to SSL_get_error() to return the value SSL_ERROR_WANT_RETRY_VERIFY. This return value is only supposed to be returned by OpenSSL if the application has previously called SSL_CTX_set_cert_verify_callback(). Since most applications do not do this the SSL_ERROR_WANT_RETRY_VERIFY return value from SSL_get_error() will be totally unexpected and applications may not behave correctly as a result. The exact behaviour will depend on the application but it could result in crashes, infinite loops or other similar incorrect responses. This issue is made more serious in combination with a separate bug in OpenSSL 3.0 that will cause X509_verify_cert() to indicate an internal error when processing a certificate chain. This will occur where a certificate does not include the Subject Alternative Name extension but where a Certificate Authority has enforced name constraints. This issue can occur even with valid chains. By combining the two issues an attacker could induce incorrect, application dependent behaviour. Fixed in OpenSSL 3.0.1 (Affected 3.0.0).
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 26 products from openssl, from netapp, from netapp and 23 others, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2021, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2021-12-14T19:15:07.807
2024-11-21T06:36:47.243
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 7.5 (HIGH)
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
10.0
2.9
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | openssl | openssl | < 1.0.2 | Yes |
| Application | openssl | openssl | 1.1.0 | Yes |
| Application | openssl | openssl | 3.0.0 | Yes |
| Application | netapp | cloud_backup | - | Yes |
| Application | netapp | e-series_performance_analyzer | - | Yes |
| Application | netapp | ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility | - | Yes |
| Application | netapp | snapcenter | - | Yes |
| Operating System | netapp | a250_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | a250 | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | 500f_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | 500f | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | h500s_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | h500s | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | h700s_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | h700s | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | h300e_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | h300e | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | h500e_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | h500e | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | h700e_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | h700e | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | h410s_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | h410s | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | h410c_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | h410c | - | No |
| Operating System | netapp | h300s_firmware | - | Yes |
| Hardware | netapp | h300s | - | No |
| Application | nodejs | node.js | < 17.3.0 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For openssl's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.