CVE-2022-0778
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Infinite loop in BN_mod_sqrt() reachable when parsing certificates
rank 55 = 26 + 19 + 0 + 10 + 0
rank@v1 · this cycle
Someone is already using it
CISA KEV catalog · public proof-of-concept · FIRST EPSS
EPSS 0.73188 · without this subject the record ranks 29
What it costs you if it fires
NVD CVSS base score, then the CNA's own
CVSS 7.5, from NVD · without this subject the record ranks 36
It is getting worse, not staying still
FIRST EPSS series, rescorings and bad loads removed
no persisting rise in 365 days · without this subject the record ranks 55
How much of the world it touches
NVD CPE configurations
20 products in the CPE ranges · without this subject the record ranks 45
Someone else already set the date
CISA KEV remediation due date
no CISA due date · without this subject the record ranks 55
$2.24M = $4.99M incident cost x 0.6121449559255632 exposure x 0.73188 likelihood
udv@v1 · unaudited · wrong for you until you say what you run
$4.99M is the cost of a breach that happened, from IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2026, global average. It is not the value of any asset of yours. That average already covers breaches of every severity, so scaling it by exposure understates a partial-impact record. That is an assumption, not a measurement. Your own asset value goes in the decision record.
Hindsight · the state
Foresight · where to check next
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Exploit Status & Known PoCs a ladder, not a score
Current rung: Proof-of-concept published · 6 public repositories, 2022-03-15.
- RUNG 1Nothing observed in held sources
- RUNG 2Proof-of-concept published · 6 public repositories2022-03-15receipt
- RUNG 3Exploited in the wild · CISA KEV listed
- RUNG 4Ransomware campaign use known
Affected & Fixed Versions as published
Show all 20 published ranges
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What it is stated by the CNA
The BN_mod_sqrt() function, which computes a modular square root, contains a bug that can cause it to loop forever for non-prime moduli. Internally this function is used when parsing certificates that contain elliptic curve public keys in compressed form or explicit elliptic curve parameters with a base point encoded in compressed form. It is possible to trigger the infinite loop by crafting a certificate that has invalid explicit curve parameters. Since certificate parsing happens prior to verification of the certificate signature, any process that parses an externally supplied certificate may thus be subject to a denial of service attack. receipt
Read the rest of the CNA's description
The infinite loop can also be reached when parsing crafted private keys as they can contain explicit elliptic curve parameters. Thus vulnerable situations include: - TLS clients consuming server certificates - TLS servers consuming client certificates - Hosting providers taking certificates or private keys from customers - Certificate authorities parsing certification requests from subscribers - Anything else which parses ASN.1 elliptic curve parameters Also any other applications that use the BN_mod_sqrt() where the attacker can control the parameter values are vulnerable to this DoS issue. In the OpenSSL 1.0.2 version the public key is not parsed during initial parsing of the certificate which makes it slightly harder to trigger the infinite loop. However any operation which requires the public key from the certificate will trigger the infinite loop. In particular the attacker can use a self-signed certificate to trigger the loop during verification of the certificate signature. This issue affects OpenSSL versions 1.0.2, 1.1.1 and 3.0. It was addressed in the releases of 1.1.1n and 3.0.2 on the 15th March 2022. Fixed in OpenSSL 3.0.2 (Affected 3.0.0,3.0.1). Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1n (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1m). Fixed in OpenSSL 1.0.2zd (Affected 1.0.2-1.0.2zc).
NVD's analysis a second authority
- severity
- 7.5 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- weakness
- CWE-835
- affected versions
- openssl >= 1.0.2 < 1.0.2zd; openssl >= 1.1.0 < 1.1.1n; openssl >= 3.0.0 < 3.0.2; and 17 more, listed in full below
- also scored by
- 7.5 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
check it yourself openssl.org git.openssl.org git.openssl.org git.openssl.org debian.org lists.debian.org +14 morereceipt
Dated events
Movement the material steps
This score more than doubled inside 72 hours. Both observations are in the full history below.
Show all 127 observations
127 observations held. A highlighted step crossed a promotion threshold. A step marked with a scoring model moved because the instrument was replaced, not because the vulnerability changed. receipt
Siblings and hubs
Records related to this one
No record cites this identifier and it carries no alias. Its defect family is below.
Its defect family
openssl
Of the 2 records in this family, this is the only one with public proof-of-concept code, and it holds 6 references to it.
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What usually comes next
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