CVE-2023-38545

9.8 CRITICAL
Published: October 18, 2023 Modified: May 12, 2026
View on NVD

Description

This flaw makes curl overflow a heap based buffer in the SOCKS5 proxy handshake. When curl is asked to pass along the host name to the SOCKS5 proxy to allow that to resolve the address instead of it getting done by curl itself, the maximum length that host name can be is 255 bytes. If the host name is detected to be longer, curl switches to local name resolving and instead passes on the resolved address only. Due to this bug, the local variable that means "let the host resolve the name" could get the wrong value during a slow SOCKS5 handshake, and contrary to the intention, copy the too long host name to the target buffer instead of copying just the resolved address there. The target buffer being a heap based buffer, and the host name coming from the URL that curl has been told to operate with.

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CVSS v3.x Details

0.0 Low Medium High Critical 10.0
Vector String
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Patch Vendor Advisory Exploit Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/34
Source: support@hackerone.com
Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/37
Source: support@hackerone.com
Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/38
Source: support@hackerone.com
Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://curl.se/docs/CVE-2023-38545.html
Source: support@hackerone.com
Patch Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231027-0009/
Source: support@hackerone.com
Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240201-0005/
Source: support@hackerone.com
Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214036
Source: support@hackerone.com
Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214057
Source: support@hackerone.com
Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214058
Source: support@hackerone.com
Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214063
Source: support@hackerone.com
Third Party Advisory
https://www.secpod.com/blog/high-severity-heap-buffer-overflow-vulnerability/
Source: support@hackerone.com
Patch Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/34
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/37
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/38
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Mailing List Third Party Advisory
https://curl.se/docs/CVE-2023-38545.html
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Patch Third Party Advisory
https://forum.vmssoftware.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8868
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231027-0009/
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240201-0005/
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214036
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214057
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214058
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Third Party Advisory
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214063
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Third Party Advisory
https://www.secpod.com/blog/high-severity-heap-buffer-overflow-vulnerability/
Source: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Patch Third Party Advisory
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-082556.html
Source: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-093430.html
Source: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-507364.html
Source: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-832273.html
Source: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-943925.html
Source: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
https://github.com/UTsweetyfish/CVE-2023-38545
Source: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
https://github.com/bcdannyboy/CVE-2023-38545
Source: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
https://github.com/dbrugman/CVE-2023-38545-POC
Source: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

34 reference(s) from NVD

Quick Stats

CVSS v3 Score
9.8 / 10.0
EPSS (Exploit Probability)
78.5%
100th percentile
Exploitation Status
Not in CISA KEV

Weaknesses (CWE)

Affected Vendors

haxx fedoraproject netapp microsoft