CVE-2023-0466

Certificate policy check not enabled

Published Mar 28, 2023 CVSS 3.1 · 5.3 Medium EPSS 1.8% KEV · Not listed
Description
The function X509_VERIFY_PARAM_add0_policy() is documented to
implicitly enable the certificate policy check when doing certificate
verification. However the implementation of the function does not
enable the check which allows certificates with invalid or incorrect
policies to pass the certificate verification.

As suddenly enabling the policy check could break existing deployments it was
decided to keep the existing behavior of the X509_VERIFY_PARAM_add0_policy()
function.

Instead the applications that require OpenSSL to perform certificate
policy check need to use X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set1_policies() or explicitly
enable the policy check by calling X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set_flags() with
the X509_V_FLAG_POLICY_CHECK flag argument.

Certificate policy checks are disabled by default in OpenSSL and are not
commonly used by applications.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-3449-1 openssl security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-5417-1 openssl security update
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2023-12520 The function X509_VERIFY_PARAM_add0_policy() is documented to implicitly enable the certificate policy check when doing certificate verification. However the implementation of the function does not enable the check which allows certificates with invalid or incorrect policies to pass the certificate verification. As suddenly enabling the policy check could break existing deployments it was decided to keep the existing behavior of the X509_VERIFY_PARAM_add0_policy() function. Instead the applications that require OpenSSL to perform certificate policy check need to use X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set1_policies() or explicitly enable the policy check by calling X509_VERIFY_PARAM_set_flags() with the X509_V_FLAG_POLICY_CHECK flag argument. Certificate policy checks are disabled by default in OpenSSL and are not commonly used by applications.
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-6039-1 OpenSSL vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7894-1 EDK II vulnerabilities
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
openssl
Published
Updated
Oct 14, 2026, 8:07 PM
Reserved
Jan 24, 2023, 1:52 PM
Status
Modified
Published
Mar 28, 2023, 3:15 PM
Modified
Oct 14, 2026, 9:17 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Mar 28, 2023, 12:00 AM