CVE-2024-6119: Possible denial of service in X.509 name checks
Issue summary: Applications performing certificate name checks (e.g., TLS
clients checking server certificates) may attempt to read an invalid memory
address resulting in abnormal termination of the application process.
Impact summary: Abnormal termination of an application can a cause a denial of
service.
Applications performing certificate name checks (e.g., TLS clients checking
server certificates) may attempt to read an invalid memory address when
comparing the expected name with an `otherName` subject alternative name of an
X.509 certificate. This may result in an exception that terminates the
application program.
Note that basic certificate chain validation (signatures, dates, ...) is not
affected, the denial of service can occur only when the application also
specifies an expected DNS name, Email address or IP address.
TLS servers rarely solicit client certificates, and even when they do, they
generally don't perform a name check against a reference identifier (expected
identity), but rather extract the presented identity after checking the
certificate chain. So TLS servers are generally not affected and the severity
of the issue is Moderate.
The FIPS modules in 3.3, 3.2, 3.1 and 3.0 are not affected by this issue.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2024-6119 is an OpenSSL certificate-name-checking bug that can crash an application during certificate validation. The main business risk is denial of service in software that validates TLS peer names, such as clients checking server certificates. OpenSSL says TLS servers are generally not affected because they rarely perform this specific name check.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted availability issue, not a broad remote system compromise. Patch in the next security maintenance window, faster for business-critical clients or infrastructure that connects to untrusted TLS endpoints. Confirm vendor-managed appliances because bundled OpenSSL may lag behind system package updates.
Technical view
When OpenSSL compares an expected DNS name, email address, or IP address with an X.509 otherName subject alternative name, affected applications may read an invalid memory address and terminate. Basic certificate chain validation is not affected. OpenSSL states FIPS modules in 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0 are not affected.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in applications using OpenSSL 3.3.0, 3.2.0, 3.1.0, or 3.0.0 code paths that perform certificate name checks. TLS clients, outbound service connectors, proxies, monitoring tools, and mail or API clients deserve review. TLS servers are generally lower exposure unless they check client certificate names against expected identifiers.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show known active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. A malicious or malformed certificate containing an otherName SAN could trigger application termination when a vulnerable application performs name matching. Do not treat this as a confidentiality-impact issue based on the advisory; the described impact is denial of service.
Researcher notes
The vulnerable condition is narrow: certificate name checking against otherName SANs, not ordinary chain validation. The advisory explicitly lowers typical TLS server exposure. The supplied CVSS vector appears inconsistent with the text because it lists confidentiality impact while the advisory describes abnormal termination and denial of service.
Mitigation direction
Upgrade OpenSSL 3.3 deployments to 3.3.2 or later vendor-provided builds.
Upgrade OpenSSL 3.2 deployments to 3.2.3 or later vendor-provided builds.
Upgrade OpenSSL 3.1 deployments to 3.1.7 or later vendor-provided builds.
Upgrade OpenSSL 3.0 deployments to 3.0.15 or later vendor-provided builds.
Check downstream vendor advisories for appliances, operating systems, and embedded products.
Validation and detection
Inventory systems and applications linked against OpenSSL 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, or 3.3.
Prioritize applications that validate server certificates against DNS names, email addresses, or IP addresses.
Confirm patched OpenSSL package or library versions are actually loaded by running applications.
Review vendor notices for FreeBSD, NetApp, Siemens, and other bundled OpenSSL dependencies.
Monitor crash telemetry for certificate-validation failures in exposed client workflows.
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
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cwe · low confidence lookup
CWE-843: Exact CWE lookup
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CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
CWE-843 · source CWE mapping
Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')
Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.