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CVE Record

CVE-2021-3711: SM2 Decryption Buffer Overflow

In order to decrypt SM2 encrypted data an application is expected to call the API function EVP_PKEY_decrypt(). Typically an application will call this function twice. The first time, on entry, the "out" parameter can be NULL and, on exit, the "outlen" parameter is populated with the buffer size required to hold the decrypted plaintext. The application can then allocate a sufficiently sized buffer and call EVP_PKEY_decrypt() again, but this time passing a non-NULL value for the "out" parameter. A bug in the implementation of the SM2 decryption code means that the calculation of the buffer size required to hold the plaintext returned by the first call to EVP_PKEY_decrypt() can be smaller than the actual size required by the second call. This can lead to a buffer overflow when EVP_PKEY_decrypt() is called by the application a second time with a buffer that is too small. A malicious attacker who is able present SM2 content for decryption to an application could cause attacker chosen data to overflow the buffer by up to a maximum of 62 bytes altering the contents of other data held after the buffer, possibly changing application behaviour or causing the application to crash. The location of the buffer is application dependent but is typically heap allocated. Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1l (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1k).

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysis

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2021-3711 is a buffer overflow in OpenSSL's SM2 decryption handling. An application that decrypts attacker-provided SM2 content could allocate too small a buffer, leading to a crash or altered behavior. The issue is fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1l; versions 1.1.1 through 1.1.1k are listed as affected. Exposure is limited to systems using affected OpenSSL 1.1.1-1.1.1k builds where applications decrypt attacker-controlled SM2 content. Downstream advisories from Debian, Oracle, NetApp, Gentoo, Siemens, and Tenable show packaged and embedded exposure may need separate vendor tracking. Treat this as a high-priority dependency remediation where affected OpenSSL versions are present, especially in internet-facing or partner-facing systems. Urgency is lower for environments with no SM2 decryption path or no attacker-controlled SM2 input. Mitigation focus: Upgrade affected OpenSSL 1.1.1 deployments to OpenSSL 1.1.1l or later.; Apply operating system or appliance vendor updates that include the OpenSSL fix.; Inventory applications and products that perform SM2 decryption with OpenSSL..

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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

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Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
OpenSSLOpenSSLFixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1l (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1k)Listed
Weakness

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