LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2018-8970: The int_x509_param_set_hosts function in lib/libcrypto/x509/x509_vpm.c in LibreSSL 2.7.0 before 2.7.1 does...

The int_x509_param_set_hosts function in lib/libcrypto/x509/x509_vpm.c in LibreSSL 2.7.0 before 2.7.1 does not support a certain special case of a zero name length, which causes silent omission of hostname verification, and consequently allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate. NOTE: the LibreSSL documentation indicates that this special case is supported, but the BoringSSL documentation does not.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

LibreSSL 2.7.0 could silently skip checking that a server certificate matches the intended hostname in a documented edge case. If an affected application relied on that behavior, a network-positioned attacker could impersonate a server and expose sensitive data.

Executive priority

Treat this as high priority where LibreSSL 2.7.0 protects sensitive network traffic. The practical risk depends on whether affected applications rely on this specific hostname-verification path.

Technical view

The flaw is in LibreSSL's int_x509_param_set_hosts handling in x509_vpm.c. A zero-length hostname special case was not honored, causing hostname verification to be omitted without an error. The CVE states this affects LibreSSL 2.7.0 before 2.7.1.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to applications or systems using LibreSSL 2.7.0 and relying on the affected hostname-verification API behavior. The source bundle does not identify specific downstream products.

Exploitation context

The CVE describes man-in-the-middle spoofing with a crafted certificate, but the bundle provides no evidence of active exploitation, public weaponization, or KEV listing.

Researcher notes

Evidence is concise but credible: CVE text names LibreSSL 2.7.0 before 2.7.1, the affected source file/function, and the security consequence. No CVSS, CWE, downstream affected-product list, or exploit telemetry is provided.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade LibreSSL 2.7.0 deployments to 2.7.1 or later.
  • Check operating-system and application vendor advisories for packaged LibreSSL updates.
  • Review applications that depend on LibreSSL hostname verification behavior.
  • Avoid relying on the zero-length hostname special case until fixed.
  • Prioritize internet-facing or sensitive client connections first.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory systems and applications linked against LibreSSL.
  • Confirm whether LibreSSL version 2.7.0 is present.
  • Verify patched systems report LibreSSL 2.7.1 or later.
  • Review certificate-verification code paths for hostname checks.
  • Confirm vendor packages include the upstream fix.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2018-8970 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.