5.3

CVE-2023-29409: Large RSA keys can cause high CPU usage in crypto/tls

Modified
AliasesSUSE-SU-2023:3181-1SUSE-SU-2023:3263-1SUSE-SU-2023:3474-1
Published 02-08-2023Last modified 13-02-2025

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2023-29409 is a medium (CVSS 5.3) Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability in go standard library crypto/tls. EPSS estimates a 1.60% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 75.8% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Routine

Not severe (CVSS 5.3, network access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
5.3/10
010
Medium · v3.1 (NVD)
EPSS score
1.60%
0%100%
Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 24 · Related 29
RHSA-2023:5009RHSA-2023:5721RHSA-2023:5738RHSA-2023:5805RHSA-2023:5964RHSA-2023:5965

Timeline

  1. 02-08-2023
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 13-02-2025
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Extremely large RSA keys in certificate chains can cause a client/server to expend significant CPU time verifying signatures. With fix, the size of RSA keys transmitted during handshakes is restricted to <= 8192 bits. Based on a survey of publicly trusted RSA keys, there are currently only three certificates in circulation with keys larger than this, and all three appear to be test certificates that are not actively deployed. It is possible there are larger keys in use in private PKIs, but we target the web PKI, so causing breakage here in the interests of increasing the default safety of users of crypto/tls seems reasonable.

CVSS metrics

5 scores · 5 sources · 1 version

EPSS trend

Probability

1.60%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

76%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 1.60% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Suse78 products
  • billing-data-service&distro=SUSE Manager Server Module 4.3< 0.3-150400.10.6.13
  • cobbler&distro=SUSE Manager Server Module 4.3< 3.3.3-150400.5.33.13
  • go1.19&distro=SUSE Enterprise Storage 7.1< 1.19.12-150000.1.40.1
  • go1.19&distro=SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-ESPOS< 1.19.12-150000.1.40.1
  • go1.19&distro=SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS< 1.19.12-150000.1.40.1
Chainguard13 products
  • go-1.20< 1.20.7-r0
  • go-1.21All versions (No fix recorded)
  • katib-earlystopping< 0.19.0-r31
  • katib-suggestion-goptuna-compatAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • katib-suggestion-hyperband< 0.19.0-r31
Wolfi13 products
  • go-1.20< 1.20.7-r0
  • go-1.21All versions (No fix recorded)
  • katib-earlystopping< 0.19.0-r31
  • katib-suggestion-goptuna-compatAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • katib-suggestion-hyperband< 0.19.0-r31
Opensuse12 products
  • go1.19&distro=openSUSE Leap 15.4< 1.19.12-150000.1.40.1
  • go1.19&distro=openSUSE Leap 15.5< 1.19.12-150000.1.40.1
  • go1.19&distro=openSUSE Tumbleweed< 1.19.12-1.1
  • go1.20&distro=openSUSE Leap 15.4< 1.20.7-150000.1.20.1
  • go1.20&distro=openSUSE Leap 15.5< 1.20.7-150000.1.20.1
Redhat5 products
  • microshift< 0:4.14.10-202401181720.p0.gd25a4c5.assembly.4.14.10.el9
  • microshift-greenboot< 0:4.14.10-202401181720.p0.gd25a4c5.assembly.4.14.10.el9
  • microshift-networking< 0:4.14.10-202401181720.p0.gd25a4c5.assembly.4.14.10.el9
  • microshift-release-info< 0:4.14.10-202401181720.p0.gd25a4c5.assembly.4.14.10.el9
  • microshift-selinux< 0:4.14.10-202401181720.p0.gd25a4c5.assembly.4.14.10.el9
Alpine1 product
  • go≥ 1.20.0, < 1.20.7-r0
Debian1 product
  • golang-1.19All versions (No fix recorded)
Go1 product
  • stdlib≥ 1.21.0-0, < 1.21.0-rc.4
Go standard library1 product
  • crypto/tls< 1.19.12 | ≥ 1.20.0-0, < 1.20.7 | ≥ 1.21.0-0, < 1.21.0-rc.4
Golang1 product
  • goEOL< 1.19.12 | ≥ 1.20.0, < 1.20.7 | 1.21.0:rc1 | 1.21.0:rc2 | 1.21.0:rc3
Ubuntu1 product
  • golang-1.20All versions (No fix recorded)

11 vendors · 127 products

References

79 links
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