HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-28321
MEDIUM

CVE-2023-28321

CWE-295Published: May 26, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.9
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An improper certificate validation vulnerability exists in curl <v8.1.0 in the way it supports matching of wildcard patterns when listed as "Subject Alternative Name" in TLS server certificates. curl can be built to use its own name matching function for TLS rather than one provided by a TLS library. This private wildcard matching function would match IDN (International Domain Name) hosts incorrectly and could as a result accept patterns that otherwise should mismatch. IDN hostnames are converted to puny code before used for certificate checks. Puny coded names always start with `xn--` and should not be allowed to pattern match, but the wildcard check in curl could still check for `x*`, which would match even though the IDN name most likely contained nothing even resembling an `x`.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-28321 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 full integrity compromise (data manipulation), with a CVSS base score of 5.9.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Affected Vendors & Products

Apple1 product(s)
macos
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
haxx1 product(s)
curl
netapp10 product(s)
clustered data ontapontap antivirus connectorh300s firmwareh300sh500s firmwareh500sh700s firmwareh700sh410s firmwareh410s
Source: NVD CPE · 15 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

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

All References (24)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2023-28321
CVSS Score5.9 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-295
CISA KEVNo
Affected5 vendor(s)
PublishedMay 26, 2023

Related CVEs (CWE-295)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2023-28321 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.