CVE-2023-50981: n/a in n/a
ModularSquareRoot in Crypto++ (aka cryptopp) through 8.9.0 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via crafted DER public-key data associated with squared odd numbers, such as the square of 268995137513890432434389773128616504853.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2023-50981 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the Crypto++ (cryptopp) cryptographic library up to version 8.9.0. The flaw resides in the ModularSquareRoot function, which processes DER-encoded public-key data. Specifically, when the function encounters crafted DER data representing squared odd numbers—such as the example square of 268995137513890432434389773128616504853—it can enter an infinite loop, resulting in a denial of service (DoS). This infinite loop is caused by improper handling of certain mathematical properties during modular square root calculations, leading to unbounded processing time. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition), indicating that the loop termination condition can be manipulated to never be met. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5 (high), reflecting that the attack can be executed remotely (network vector), requires no privileges or user interaction, and impacts availability without affecting confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability affects cryptographic operations that rely on the vulnerable ModularSquareRoot implementation, which may be embedded in various software products and services using Crypto++ for cryptographic functions.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk primarily to availability of services that depend on Crypto++ for cryptographic operations, such as secure communications, authentication, or cryptographic key management. An attacker can remotely send specially crafted DER public-key data to trigger an infinite loop, causing resource exhaustion and potential service outages. This can disrupt critical infrastructure, financial services, government systems, and any enterprise relying on cryptographic libraries for secure operations. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the denial of service can degrade trust and availability of essential services. Organizations in sectors with high reliance on cryptographic libraries—such as telecommunications, banking, and public administration—may experience operational disruptions. Additionally, the lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the threat surface. The absence of known exploits suggests the vulnerability is not yet actively weaponized, but proactive mitigation is essential to prevent future attacks.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should first identify all software and systems utilizing Crypto++ up to version 8.9.0, particularly those performing DER public-key processing. Immediate mitigation steps include: 1) Applying vendor patches or updates once available; 2) Implementing input validation and sanitization to detect and reject malformed or suspicious DER public-key data before processing; 3) Employing runtime protections such as execution timeouts or watchdog timers on cryptographic operations to prevent infinite loops from causing prolonged resource consumption; 4) Monitoring network traffic for anomalous DER-encoded payloads indicative of exploitation attempts; 5) Isolating cryptographic processing components to limit the impact of potential DoS conditions; 6) Engaging with software vendors to expedite patch development and deployment. Since no patches are currently linked, organizations should consider temporary workarounds such as disabling vulnerable features or substituting alternative cryptographic libraries where feasible. Regularly updating threat intelligence and vulnerability management processes to incorporate new information about this CVE is also recommended.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Switzerland
CVE-2023-50981: n/a in n/a
Description
ModularSquareRoot in Crypto++ (aka cryptopp) through 8.9.0 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via crafted DER public-key data associated with squared odd numbers, such as the square of 268995137513890432434389773128616504853.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2023-50981 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the Crypto++ (cryptopp) cryptographic library up to version 8.9.0. The flaw resides in the ModularSquareRoot function, which processes DER-encoded public-key data. Specifically, when the function encounters crafted DER data representing squared odd numbers—such as the example square of 268995137513890432434389773128616504853—it can enter an infinite loop, resulting in a denial of service (DoS). This infinite loop is caused by improper handling of certain mathematical properties during modular square root calculations, leading to unbounded processing time. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition), indicating that the loop termination condition can be manipulated to never be met. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5 (high), reflecting that the attack can be executed remotely (network vector), requires no privileges or user interaction, and impacts availability without affecting confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability affects cryptographic operations that rely on the vulnerable ModularSquareRoot implementation, which may be embedded in various software products and services using Crypto++ for cryptographic functions.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk primarily to availability of services that depend on Crypto++ for cryptographic operations, such as secure communications, authentication, or cryptographic key management. An attacker can remotely send specially crafted DER public-key data to trigger an infinite loop, causing resource exhaustion and potential service outages. This can disrupt critical infrastructure, financial services, government systems, and any enterprise relying on cryptographic libraries for secure operations. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, the denial of service can degrade trust and availability of essential services. Organizations in sectors with high reliance on cryptographic libraries—such as telecommunications, banking, and public administration—may experience operational disruptions. Additionally, the lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the threat surface. The absence of known exploits suggests the vulnerability is not yet actively weaponized, but proactive mitigation is essential to prevent future attacks.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should first identify all software and systems utilizing Crypto++ up to version 8.9.0, particularly those performing DER public-key processing. Immediate mitigation steps include: 1) Applying vendor patches or updates once available; 2) Implementing input validation and sanitization to detect and reject malformed or suspicious DER public-key data before processing; 3) Employing runtime protections such as execution timeouts or watchdog timers on cryptographic operations to prevent infinite loops from causing prolonged resource consumption; 4) Monitoring network traffic for anomalous DER-encoded payloads indicative of exploitation attempts; 5) Isolating cryptographic processing components to limit the impact of potential DoS conditions; 6) Engaging with software vendors to expedite patch development and deployment. Since no patches are currently linked, organizations should consider temporary workarounds such as disabling vulnerable features or substituting alternative cryptographic libraries where feasible. Regularly updating threat intelligence and vulnerability management processes to incorporate new information about this CVE is also recommended.
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- mitre
- Date Reserved
- 2023-12-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Cisa Enriched
- true
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 682d9819c4522896dcbd8b82
Added to database: 5/21/2025, 9:08:41 AM
Last enriched: 7/5/2025, 8:42:03 AM
Last updated: 7/31/2025, 4:55:58 AM
Views: 10
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