CVE-2021-3450
7.4 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2021-3450 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting openssl openssl. It was published on March 25, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.4 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.4, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
The X509_V_FLAG_X509_STRICT flag enables additional security checks of the certificates present in a certificate chain. It is not set by default. Starting from OpenSSL version 1.1.1h a check to disallow certificates in the chain that have explicitly encoded elliptic curve parameters was added as an additional strict check. An error in the implementation of this check meant that the result of a previous check to confirm that certificates in the chain are valid CA certificates was overwritten. This effectively bypasses the check that non-CA certificates must not be able to issue other certificates. If a "purpose" has been configured then there is a subsequent opportunity for checks that the certificate is a valid CA. All of the named "purpose" values implemented in libcrypto perform this check. Therefore, where a purpose is set the certificate chain will still be rejected even when the strict flag has been used. A purpose is set by default in libssl client and server certificate verifica
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from openssl. Update openssl to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| openssl | openssl | >= 1.1.1h, < 1.1.1k | Affected |
| tenable | nessus | 0 | Affected |
| tenable | nessus_agent | 8.2.1 | Affected |
| oracle | jd_edwards_enterpriseone_tools | >= 0, < 9.2.6.0 | Affected |
| oracle | mysql_connectors | 0 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-3450?
CVE-2021-3450 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting openssl openssl. It was published on March 25, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.4 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2021-3450?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.4, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2021-3450?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from openssl. Update openssl to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2021-3450?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2021-3450 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
Automated penetration testing that runs continuously, not just quarterly.
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Browser-based exploitation validates findings with real proof-of-concept.
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