CVE-2023-5678

Excessive time spent in DH check / generation with large Q parameter value

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Published Nov 6, 2023 CVSS 3.1 · 5.3 Medium EPSS 5.1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Issue summary: Generating excessively long X9.42 DH keys or checking
excessively long X9.42 DH keys or parameters may be very slow.

Impact summary: Applications that use the functions DH_generate_key() to
generate an X9.42 DH key may experience long delays. Likewise, applications
that use DH_check_pub_key(), DH_check_pub_key_ex() or EVP_PKEY_public_check()
to check an X9.42 DH key or X9.42 DH parameters may experience long delays.
Where the key or parameters that are being checked have been obtained from
an untrusted source this may lead to a Denial of Service.

While DH_check() performs all the necessary checks (as of CVE-2023-3817),
DH_check_pub_key() doesn't make any of these checks, and is therefore
vulnerable for excessively large P and Q parameters.

Likewise, while DH_generate_key() performs a check for an excessively large
P, it doesn't check for an excessively large Q.

An application that calls DH_generate_key() or DH_check_pub_key() and
supplies a key or parameters obtained from an untrusted source could be
vulnerable to a Denial of Service attack.

DH_generate_key() and DH_check_pub_key() are also called by a number of
other OpenSSL functions. An application calling any of those other
functions may similarly be affected. The other functions affected by this
are DH_check_pub_key_ex(), EVP_PKEY_public_check(), and EVP_PKEY_generate().

Also vulnerable are the OpenSSL pkey command line application when using the
"-pubcheck" option, as well as the OpenSSL genpkey command line application.

The OpenSSL SSL/TLS implementation is not affected by this issue.

The OpenSSL 3.0 and 3.1 FIPS providers are not affected by this issue.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-3942-1 openssl security update
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-3942-2 openssl regression update
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2023-57969 Issue summary: Generating excessively long X9.42 DH keys or checking excessively long X9.42 DH keys or parameters may be very slow. Impact summary: Applications that use the functions DH_generate_key() to generate an X9.42 DH key may experience long delays. Likewise, applications that use DH_check_pub_key(), DH_check_pub_key_ex() or EVP_PKEY_public_check() to check an X9.42 DH key or X9.42 DH parameters may experience long delays. Where the key or parameters that are being checked have been obtained from an untrusted source this may lead to a Denial of Service. While DH_check() performs all the necessary checks (as of CVE-2023-3817), DH_check_pub_key() doesn't make any of these checks, and is therefore vulnerable for excessively large P and Q parameters. Likewise, while DH_generate_key() performs a check for an excessively large P, it doesn't check for an excessively large Q. An application that calls DH_generate_key() or DH_check_pub_key() and supplies a key or parameters obtained from an untrusted source could be vulnerable to a Denial of Service attack. DH_generate_key() and DH_check_pub_key() are also called by a number of other OpenSSL functions. An application calling any of those other functions may similarly be affected. The other functions affected by this are DH_check_pub_key_ex(), EVP_PKEY_public_check(), and EVP_PKEY_generate(). Also vulnerable are the OpenSSL pkey command line application when using the "-pubcheck" option, as well as the OpenSSL genpkey command line application. The OpenSSL SSL/TLS implementation is not affected by this issue. The OpenSSL 3.0 and 3.1 FIPS providers are not affected by this issue.
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-6622-1 OpenSSL vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-6632-1 OpenSSL vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-6709-1 OpenSSL vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7894-1 EDK II vulnerabilities
References
Link Providers
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/03/11/1 cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-093430.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-128433.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-265688.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-277137.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-331112.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-341067.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-556635.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-613116.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-769027.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-794697.html cve-icon
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-915275.html cve-icon
https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git;a=commitdiff;h=34efaef6c103d636ab507a0cc34dca4d3aecc055 cve-icon cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git;a=commitdiff;h=710fee740904b6290fef0dd5536fbcedbc38ff0c cve-icon cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git;a=commitdiff;h=db925ae2e65d0d925adef429afc37f75bd1c2017 cve-icon cve-icon cve-icon
https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git;a=commitdiff;h=ddeb4b6c6d527e54ce9a99cba785c0f7776e54b6 cve-icon cve-icon cve-icon
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/10/msg00033.html cve-icon
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/11/msg00000.html cve-icon
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5678 cve-icon
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231130-0010/ cve-icon
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5678 cve-icon
https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20231106.txt cve-icon cve-icon cve-icon
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics epss

{'score': 0.00122}

 epss

{'score': 0.00126}
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics epss

{'score': 0.00126}

 epss

{'score': 0.00122}
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Issue summary: Generating excessively long X9.42 DH keys or checking excessively long X9.42 DH keys or parameters may be very slow. Impact summary: Applications that use the functions DH_generate_key() to generate an X9.42 DH key may experience long delays. Likewise, applications that use DH_check_pub_key(), DH_check_pub_key_ex() or EVP_PKEY_public_check() to check an X9.42 DH key or X9.42 DH parameters may experience long delays. Where the key or parameters that are being checked have been obtained from an untrusted source this may lead to a Denial of Service. While DH_check() performs all the necessary checks (as of CVE-2023-3817), DH_check_pub_key() doesn't make any of these checks, and is therefore vulnerable for excessively large P and Q parameters. Likewise, while DH_generate_key() performs a check for an excessively large P, it doesn't check for an excessively large Q. An application that calls DH_generate_key() or DH_check_pub_key() and supplies a key or parameters obtained from an untrusted source could be vulnerable to a Denial of Service attack. DH_generate_key() and DH_check_pub_key() are also called by a number of other OpenSSL functions. An application calling any of those other functions may similarly be affected. The other functions affected by this are DH_check_pub_key_ex(), EVP_PKEY_public_check(), and EVP_PKEY_generate(). Also vulnerable are the OpenSSL pkey command line application when using the "-pubcheck" option, as well as the OpenSSL genpkey command line application. The OpenSSL SSL/TLS implementation is not affected by this issue. The OpenSSL 3.0 and 3.1 FIPS providers are not affected by this issue. Issue summary: Generating excessively long X9.42 DH keys or checking excessively long X9.42 DH keys or parameters may be very slow. Impact summary: Applications that use the functions DH_generate_key() to generate an X9.42 DH key may experience long delays. Likewise, applications that use DH_check_pub_key(), DH_check_pub_key_ex() or EVP_PKEY_public_check() to check an X9.42 DH key or X9.42 DH parameters may experience long delays. Where the key or parameters that are being checked have been obtained from an untrusted source this may lead to a Denial of Service. While DH_check() performs all the necessary checks (as of CVE-2023-3817), DH_check_pub_key() doesn't make any of these checks, and is therefore vulnerable for excessively large P and Q parameters. Likewise, while DH_generate_key() performs a check for an excessively large P, it doesn't check for an excessively large Q. An application that calls DH_generate_key() or DH_check_pub_key() and supplies a key or parameters obtained from an untrusted source could be vulnerable to a Denial of Service attack. DH_generate_key() and DH_check_pub_key() are also called by a number of other OpenSSL functions. An application calling any of those other functions may similarly be affected. The other functions affected by this are DH_check_pub_key_ex(), EVP_PKEY_public_check(), and EVP_PKEY_generate(). Also vulnerable are the OpenSSL pkey command line application when using the "-pubcheck" option, as well as the OpenSSL genpkey command line application. The OpenSSL SSL/TLS implementation is not affected by this issue. The OpenSSL 3.0 and 3.1 FIPS providers are not affected by this issue.
Weaknesses CWE-606
Earlier changes (3)
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
openssl
Published
Updated
Oct 14, 2026, 10:03 PM
Reserved
Oct 20, 2023, 9:38 AM

View source JSON

Updated
Nov 3, 2025, 9:50 PM

JSON

Status
Modified
Published
Nov 6, 2023, 4:15 PM
Modified
Oct 14, 2026, 10:17 PM

View source JSON

Severity
Low
Public date
Oct 24, 2023, 12:00 AM

View source Bugzilla JSON

No data.