Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-3817 can make some OpenSSL-based applications spend excessive CPU time checking malicious or oversized Diffie-Hellman parameters. The practical business risk is denial of service in software that validates DH keys or parameters from untrusted sources. OpenSSL states its SSL/TLS implementation and OpenSSL 3.0/3.1 FIPS providers are not affected.
Executive priority
Prioritize normal security update cycles, with faster handling for internet-facing services that validate user-supplied cryptographic parameters. This is a denial-of-service issue with limited availability impact, not a confidentiality or integrity compromise in the cited sources.
Technical view
The issue affects DH_check(), DH_check_ex(), and EVP_PKEY_param_check() when processing a q parameter larger than p. That unnecessary check can cause long computation. The OpenSSL dhparam and pkeyparam command-line tools are also affected when used with -check. CVSS is 5.3, CWE-606, availability-only impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in applications, management tools, import workflows, or validation services that accept DH keys or parameters from untrusted users and call the affected OpenSSL checks. Standard OpenSSL SSL/TLS usage is not in scope per the advisory.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show known active exploitation, and KEV is false. Abuse requires getting a vulnerable application or OpenSSL command-line validation workflow to check attacker-controlled DH parameters. Impact is delay or resource exhaustion, not data theft or code execution.
Researcher notes
Focus analysis on call paths that validate DH parameters outside normal TLS handshakes. The important boundary is whether q can be attacker-controlled and oversized before reaching OpenSSL parameter checks. Patch references exist for OpenSSL 3.1.2, 3.0.10, 1.1.1v, and 1.0.2zi.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade to OpenSSL releases containing the vendor fix for the deployed branch.
- Apply distribution or appliance vendor security updates that include the OpenSSL patch.
- Avoid checking DH parameters from untrusted sources until patched.
- Limit or reject unexpectedly large untrusted DH parameter inputs before OpenSSL validation.
- Review vendor guidance for products embedding OpenSSL rather than assuming system OpenSSL coverage.
Validation and detection
- Inventory OpenSSL versions and linked copies across applications, containers, and appliances.
- Search code for DH_check(), DH_check_ex(), and EVP_PKEY_param_check() usage.
- Identify workflows that import or validate DH keys or parameters from untrusted sources.
- Check scripts for openssl dhparam -check or pkeyparam -check on external input.
- Confirm SSL/TLS-only services are not misclassified as affected without separate parameter-checking logic.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
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.
CWE-606: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-3817 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
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.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L3.91.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.3MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- OpenSSL AdvisoryCVE reference · vendor-advisory
- 3.1.2 git commitCVE reference · patch
- 3.0.10 git commitCVE reference · patch
- 1.1.1v git commitCVE reference · patch
- 1.0.2zi patch (premium)CVE reference · patch
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00019.htmlCVE reference · x_transferred
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230818-0014/CVE reference · x_transferred
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231027-0008/CVE reference · x_transferred
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202402-08CVE reference · x_transferred
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240621-0006/CVE reference · x_transferred
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Unchecked Input for Loop Condition
Unchecked Input for Loop Condition represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
