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Noroxi
NVD / CVE Program· CNA hackerone

CVE-2023-38545: This flaw makes curl overflow a heap based buffer in the SOCKS5 proxy handshake.

Noroxi assessment

Priority: This week (action score 63/100)

  • Public proof-of-concept code exists (GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 78.6% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.5% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: curl curl 8.4.0.
  • Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window. Upgrade to curl curl 8.4.0 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

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.

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.1—Proof of concept Fix available
Published
Oct 18, 2023
Updated
Jul 14, 2026
EPSS
78.6% · 99th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

63

This week

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
24 / 30 · 78.6%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
proof of concept
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2023-38545

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
haxxlibcurl
fedoraprojectfedora
netappactive iq unified manager
netapponcommand insight
netapponcommand workflow automation
microsoftwindows 10 1809
microsoftwindows 10 21h2
microsoftwindows 10 22h2
microsoftwindows 11 21h2
microsoftwindows 11 22h2
microsoftwindows 11 23h2
microsoftwindows server 2019

and 1 more

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • microsoft windows server 2019before 10.0.17763.5122
  • microsoft windows server 2022before 10.0.20348.2113

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (hackerone). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • curl curl

    • 8.4.0 and later · before 8.4.0affected · semver
    • 7.69.0 and later · before 7.69.0not affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
AlmaLinux:9curlbefore 7.76.1-26.el9_3.27.76.1-26.el9_3.2
AlmaLinux:9curlbefore 7.76.1-23.el9_2.47.76.1-23.el9_2.4
AlmaLinux:9curl-minimalbefore 7.76.1-23.el9_2.47.76.1-23.el9_2.4
AlmaLinux:9curl-minimalbefore 7.76.1-26.el9_3.27.76.1-26.el9_3.2
AlmaLinux:9libcurlbefore 7.76.1-26.el9_3.27.76.1-26.el9_3.2
AlmaLinux:9libcurlbefore 7.76.1-23.el9_2.47.76.1-23.el9_2.4
AlmaLinux:9libcurl-develbefore 7.76.1-26.el9_3.27.76.1-26.el9_3.2
AlmaLinux:9libcurl-develbefore 7.76.1-23.el9_2.47.76.1-23.el9_2.4
AlmaLinux:9libcurl-minimalbefore 7.76.1-23.el9_2.47.76.1-23.el9_2.4
AlmaLinux:9libcurl-minimalbefore 7.76.1-26.el9_3.27.76.1-26.el9_3.2
Alpine:v3.15curlbefore 8.4.0-r08.4.0-r0
Debian:11curlbefore 7.74.0-1.3+deb11u107.74.0-1.3+deb11u10
Debian:12curlbefore 7.88.1-10+deb12u47.88.1-10+deb12u4
Debian:13curlbefore 8.3.0-38.3.0-3
openSUSE:Leap 15.4curlbefore 8.0.1-150400.5.32.18.0.1-150400.5.32.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedcmakebefore 3.27.8-1.13.27.8-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedcurlbefore 8.4.0-1.18.4.0-1.1
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamcurl-debuginfobefore 0:7.76.1-26.el9_3.20:7.76.1-26.el9_3.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamcurl-debuginfobefore 0:7.76.1-23.el9_2.40:7.76.1-23.el9_2.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamcurl-debugsourcebefore 0:7.76.1-26.el9_3.20:7.76.1-26.el9_3.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamcurl-debugsourcebefore 0:7.76.1-23.el9_2.40:7.76.1-23.el9_2.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamcurl-minimal-debuginfobefore 0:7.76.1-26.el9_3.20:7.76.1-26.el9_3.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamcurl-minimal-debuginfobefore 0:7.76.1-23.el9_2.40:7.76.1-23.el9_2.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstreamlibcurl-debuginfobefore 0:7.76.1-26.el9_3.20:7.76.1-26.el9_3.2

+73

Same product

haxx: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2019-5436A heap buffer overflow in the TFTP receiving code allows for DoS or arbitrary code execution in libcurl versions 7.19.4 through 7.64.1.
    46Plan
  • CVE-2019-3822libcurl versions from 7.36.0 to before 7.64.0 are vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow.
    43Plan
  • CVE-2018-14618curl before version 7.61.1 is vulnerable to a buffer overrun in the NTLM authentication code.
    42Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-27537Mar 30, 2023 · A double free vulnerability exists in libcurl <8.0.0 when sharing HSTS data between separate "handles".
    24Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2023-27538Mar 30, 2023 · An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in libcurl prior to v8.0.0 where it reuses a previously established SSH connection despite the
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2023-38546Oct 18, 2023 · This flaw allows an attacker to insert cookies at will into a running program using libcurl, if the specific series of conditions are met.
    16Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
curl curl8.4.0Vendor (CNA)
almalinux:curl7.76.1-23.el9_2.4 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:curl-minimal7.76.1-23.el9_2.4 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:libcurl7.76.1-23.el9_2.4 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:libcurl-devel7.76.1-23.el9_2.4 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
almalinux:libcurl-minimal7.76.1-23.el9_2.4 · AlmaLinux:9Package registry (OSV)
alpine:curl8.4.0-r0 · Alpine:v3.15Package registry (OSV)
debian:curl7.88.1-10+deb12u4 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cmake3.27.8-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:curl8.0.1-150400.5.32.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.4Package registry (OSV)
red hat:curl0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:curl-debuginfo0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:curl-debugsource0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:curl-minimal0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:curl-minimal-debuginfo0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:jbcs-httpd24-openssl1:1.1.1k-16.el7jbcs · Red Hat:jboss_core_services:1::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:jbcs-httpd24-openssl-debuginfo1:1.1.1k-16.el7jbcs · Red Hat:jboss_core_services:1::el7Package registry (OSV)
red hat:libcurl0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libcurl-debuginfo0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libcurl-devel0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libcurl-minimal0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libcurl-minimal-debuginfo0:7.76.1-14.el9_0.9 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:9.0::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
rocky linux:curl0:7.76.1-23.el9_2.4 · Rocky Linux:9Package registry (OSV)
suse:curl8.0.1-11.74.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5Package registry (OSV)
suse:curl8.0.1-150400.5.32.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×8

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:202023-10-11
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:82023-10-12
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:62023-10-12
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:32023-10-12
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:22023-10-16
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:42023-10-16
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:212023-10-17
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02024-03-19

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. First PoC-7 d
  2. Published
  3. TodayOct 27, 2026+1105 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds Write

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

All records