CVE-2015-0209: Double Free

Published Feb 9, 2015
·
Updated

A use-after-free flaw was found in the way OpenSSL imported malformed Elliptic Curve private keys. A specially crafted key file could cause an application using OpenSSL to crash when imported.

Other sources

From openssl git:

commit 1b4a8df38fc9ab3c089ca5765075ee53ec5bd66a Author: Matt Caswell <matt> Date: Mon Feb 9 11:38:41 2015 +0000

Fix a failure to NULL a pointer freed on error.

Inspired by BoringSSL commit 517073cd4b by Eric Roman <eroman>

CVE-2015-0209

Reviewed-by: Emilia Käsper <emilia>

in elliptic curves code. might cause a double free, but its hard to say.

Red Hat

Use-after-free vulnerability in the d2iECPrivateKey function in crypto/ec/ecasn1.c in OpenSSL before 0.9.8zf, 1.0.0 before 1.0.0r, 1.0.1 before 1.0.1m, and 1.0.2 before 1.0.2a might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a malformed Elliptic Curve (EC) private-key file that is improperly handled during import.

Affected Software

38 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/openssl<0:1.0.1e-30.el6_6.7
0:1.0.1e-30.el6_6.7
redhat/openssl<1:1.0.1e-42.el7_1.4
1:1.0.1e-42.el7_1.4
redhat/openssl<1.0.2
1.0.2
redhat/openssl<1.0.1
1.0.1
redhat/openssl<0.9.8
0.9.8
OpenSSL OpenSSL<=0.9.8ze
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0a
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0b
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0c
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0d
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0e
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0f
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0g
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0h
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0i
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0j
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0k
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0l
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0m
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0n
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0o
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0p
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.0q
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1a
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1b
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1c
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1d
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1e
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1f
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1g
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1h
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1i
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1j
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1k
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.1l
OpenSSL OpenSSL=1.0.2

Event History

Feb 9, 2015
CVE Published
12:00 AM
Mar 19, 2015
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Description

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2015-0209?

CVE-2015-0209 has a moderate severity as it can lead to application crashes when importing maliciously crafted Elliptic Curve private keys.

2

How do I fix CVE-2015-0209?

To fix CVE-2015-0209, update OpenSSL to a version that is not affected by this vulnerability, such as 0.9.8, 1.0.1l, or 1.0.2.

3

What applications are affected by CVE-2015-0209?

Applications utilizing OpenSSL versions before 1.0.1e-30.el6_6.7 or 1.0.1e-42.el7_1.4 are vulnerable to CVE-2015-0209.

4

Can CVE-2015-0209 be exploited remotely?

CVE-2015-0209 typically requires an attacker to provide a specially crafted key file, making it primarily an application-level risk rather than a direct remote exploit.

5

What are the chances of an exploit for CVE-2015-0209?

Exploitation of CVE-2015-0209 can lead to crashes, but the practical impact would depend on whether malicious key files are used in an application context.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203