HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-3711
CRITICAL

CVE-2021-3711

CWE-120Published: August 24, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

In order to decrypt SM2 encrypted data an application is expected to call the API function EVP_PKEY_decrypt(). Typically an application will call this function twice. The first time, on entry, the "out" parameter can be NULL and, on exit, the "outlen" parameter is populated with the buffer size required to hold the decrypted plaintext. The application can then allocate a sufficiently sized buffer and call EVP_PKEY_decrypt() again, but this time passing a non-NULL value for the "out" parameter. A bug in the implementation of the SM2 decryption code means that the calculation of the buffer size required to hold the plaintext returned by the first call to EVP_PKEY_decrypt() can be smaller than the actual size required by the second call. This can lead to a buffer overflow when EVP_PKEY_decrypt() is called by the application a second time with a buffer that is too small. A malicious attacker who is able present SM2 content for decryption to an application could cause attacker chosen data to overflow the buffer by up to a maximum of 62 bytes altering the contents of other data held after the buffer, possibly changing application behaviour or causing the application to crash. The location of the buffer is application dependent but is typically heap allocated. Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1l (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1k).

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-3711 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
netapp12 product(s)
active iq unified managerclustered data ontapclustered data ontap antivirus connectore-series santricity os controllerhci management nodemanageability software development kitoncommand insightoncommand workflow automationsantricity smi-s providersnapcentersolidfirestorage encryption
OpenSSL1 product(s)
openssl
Oracle15 product(s)
communications cloud native core security edge protection proxycommunications cloud native core unified data repositorycommunications session border controllercommunications unified session managerenterprise communications brokerenterprise session border controlleressbasehealth sciences inform publisherjd edwards enterpriseone toolsjd edwards world securitymysql connectorsmysql enterprise monitor+3
tenable2 product(s)
nessus network monitortenable.sc
Source: NVD CPE · 39 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (34)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-3711
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-120
CISA KEVNo
Affected5 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 24, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-120)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2021-3711 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.