CVE-2023-38712

Name: CVE-2023-38712
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2023-08-25T21:15:08.293+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 0.69%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2023-38712 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in Libreswan 3.x and 4.x before 4.12. When an IKEv1 ISAKMP SA Informational Exchange packet contains a Delete/Notify payload followed by further Notifies that act on the ISAKMP SA, such as a duplicated Delete/Notify message, a NULL pointer dereference on the deleted state causes the pluto daemon to crash and restart.. EPSS estimates a 0.69% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in Libreswan 3.x and 4.x before 4.12. When an IKEv1 ISAKMP SA Informational Exchange packet contains a Delete/Notify payload followed by further Notifies that act on the ISAKMP SA, such as a duplicated Delete/Notify message, a NULL pointer dereference on the deleted state causes the pluto daemon to crash and restart.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.69%

48.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Libreswan	Libreswan	>= 3.0, < 4.0
Libreswan	Libreswan	>= 4.0, < 4.12

References

https://github.com/libreswan/libreswan/tagsThird Party Advisory
https://libreswan.org/security/CVE-2023-38712/Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/libreswan/libreswan/tagsThird Party Advisory
https://libreswan.org/security/CVE-2023-38712/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Aug 25, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-38712?

How severe is CVE-2023-38712?

CVE-2023-38712 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.69% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-38712?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2023-38712?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST