CVE-2026-40253: openCryptoki is a PKCS#11 library and provides tooling for Linux and AIX. In versions 3.26.0 and below, the BER/DER decoding functions in the shared c...

Description

openCryptoki is a PKCS#11 library and provides tooling for Linux and AIX. In versions 3.26.0 and below, the BER/DER decoding functions in the shared common library (asn1.c) accept a raw pointer but no buffer length parameter, and trust attacker-controlled BER length fields without validating them against actual buffer boundaries. All primitive decoders are affected: ber_decode_INTEGER, ber_decode_SEQUENCE, ber_decode_OCTET_STRING, ber_decode_BIT_STRING, and ber_decode_CHOICE. Additionally, ber_decode_INTEGER can produce integer underflows when the encoded length is zero. An attacker supplying a malformed BER-encoded cryptographic object through PKCS#11 operations such as C_CreateObject or C_UnwrapKey, token loading from disk, or remote backend communication can trigger out-of-bounds reads. This affects all token backends (Soft, ICA, CCA, TPM, EP11, ICSF) since the vulnerable code is in the shared common library. A patch is available thorugh commit ed378f463ef73364c89feb0fc923f4dc867332a3.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.1/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.16%

5.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-125

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Opencryptoki Project	Opencryptoki	<= 3.26.0

References

https://github.com/opencryptoki/opencryptoki/commit/ed378f463ef73364c89feb0fc923f4dc867332a3Patch
https://github.com/opencryptoki/opencryptoki/security/advisories/GHSA-c9cf-6vr4-wfxmExploit, Mitigation, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/opencryptoki/opencryptoki/security/advisories/GHSA-c9cf-6vr4-wfxmExploit, Mitigation, Patch, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Apr 16, 2026
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-40253?

openCryptoki is a PKCS#11 library and provides tooling for Linux and AIX. In versions 3.26.0 and below, the BER/DER decoding functions in the shared common library (asn1.c) accept a raw pointer but no buffer length parameter, and trust attacker-controlled BER length fields without validating them against actual buffer boundaries. All primitive decoders are affected: ber_decode_INTEGER, ber_decode_SEQUENCE, ber_decode_OCTET_STRING, ber_decode_BIT_STRING, and ber_decode_CHOICE. Additionally, ber_decode_INTEGER can produce integer underflows when the encoded length is zero. An attacker supplying a malformed BER-encoded cryptographic object through PKCS#11 operations such as C_CreateObject or C_UnwrapKey, token loading from disk, or remote backend communication can trigger out-of-bounds reads. This affects all token backends (Soft, ICA, CCA, TPM, EP11, ICSF) since the vulnerable code is in the shared common library. A patch is available thorugh commit ed378f463ef73364c89feb0fc923f4dc867332a3.

How severe is CVE-2026-40253?

CVE-2026-40253 has a CVSS score of 6.1/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.16% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-40253?

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.