openssl-src vulnerable to Use-after-free following `BIO_new_NDEF`

The public API function `BIO_new_NDEF` is a helper function used for streaming ASN.1 data via a `BIO`. It is primarily used internally to OpenSSL to support the SMIME, CMS and PKCS7 streaming capabilities, but may also be called directly by end user applications. The function receives a `BIO` from the caller, prepends a new `BIO_f_asn1` filter `BIO` onto the front of it to form a `BIO` chain, and then returns the new head of the `BIO` chain to the caller. Under certain conditions, for example if a CMS recipient public key is invalid, the new filter `BIO` is freed and the function returns a `NULL` result indicating a failure. However, in this case, the `BIO` chain is not properly cleaned up and the `BIO` passed by the caller still retains internal pointers to the previously freed filter `BIO`. If the caller then goes on to call `BIO_pop()` on the `BIO` then a use-after-free will occur. This will most likely result in a crash. This scenario occurs directly in the internal function `B64_write_ASN1()` which may cause `BIO_new_NDEF()` to be called and will subsequently call `BIO_pop()` on the `BIO`. This internal function is in turn called by the public API functions `PEM_write_bio_ASN1_stream`, `PEM_write_bio_CMS_stream`, `PEM_write_bio_PKCS7_stream`, `SMIME_write_ASN1`, `SMIME_write_CMS` and `SMIME_write_PKCS7`. Other public API functions that may be impacted by this include `i2d_ASN1_bio_stream`, `BIO_new_CMS`, `BIO_new_PKCS7`, `i2d_CMS_bio_stream` and `i2d_PKCS7_bio_stream`.

Source published

8 Feb 2023 22:28:34 UTC

Source modified

10 Sep 2026 03:49:52 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:19:54 UTC

Source terms

GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0

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CVSS_V3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Publisher rating · HIGH