Vulnerability-Lookup

OESA-2023-1123 (CVE-2023-23916)

Vulnerability from osv_openeuler – Published: 2023-02-24 11:05 – Updated: 2026-08-06 11:05 – Source website

Summary

curl security update

Details

cURL is a computer software project providing a library (libcurl) and command-line tool (curl) for transferring data using various protocols.

Security Fix(es):

curl supports "chained" HTTP compression algorithms, meaning that a server response can be compressed multiple times and potentially with different algorithms. The number of acceptable "links" in this "decompression chain" was capped, but the cap was implemented on a per-header basis allowing a malicious server to insert a virtually unlimited number of compression steps simply by using many headers. The use of such a decompression chain could result in a "malloc bomb", making curl end up spending enormous amounts of allocated heap memory, or trying to and returning out of memory errors.(CVE-2023-23916)

Severity

6.5 (Medium)


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

References

URL

Type

	https://www.openeuler.org/en/security/safety-bull…	ADVISORY
	https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-23916	ADVISORY

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "aarch64": [
          "libcurl-devel-7.71.1-20.oe1.aarch64.rpm",
          "curl-debuginfo-7.71.1-20.oe1.aarch64.rpm",
          "curl-debugsource-7.71.1-20.oe1.aarch64.rpm",
          "curl-7.71.1-20.oe1.aarch64.rpm",
          "libcurl-7.71.1-20.oe1.aarch64.rpm"
        ],
        "noarch": [
          "curl-help-7.71.1-20.oe1.noarch.rpm"
        ],
        "src": [
          "curl-7.71.1-20.oe1.src.rpm"
        ],
        "x86_64": [
          "curl-debuginfo-7.71.1-20.oe1.x86_64.rpm",
          "libcurl-devel-7.71.1-20.oe1.x86_64.rpm",
          "libcurl-7.71.1-20.oe1.x86_64.rpm",
          "curl-debugsource-7.71.1-20.oe1.x86_64.rpm",
          "curl-7.71.1-20.oe1.x86_64.rpm"
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "openEuler:20.03-LTS-SP3",
        "name": "curl",
        "purl": "pkg:rpm/openEuler/curl\u0026distro=openEuler-20.03-LTS-SP3"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "7.71.1-20.oe1"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "severity": "Medium"
  },
  "details": "cURL is a computer software project providing a library (libcurl) and command-line tool (curl) for transferring data using various protocols.\r\n\r\nSecurity Fix(es):\r\n\r\ncurl supports \u0026quot;chained\u0026quot; HTTP compression algorithms, meaning that a server response can be compressed multiple times and potentially with different algorithms. The number of acceptable \u0026quot;links\u0026quot; in this \u0026quot;decompression chain\u0026quot; was capped, but the cap was implemented on a per-header basis allowing a malicious server to insert a virtually unlimited number of compression steps simply by using many headers. The use of such a decompression chain could result in a \u0026quot;malloc bomb\u0026quot;, making curl end up spending enormous amounts of allocated heap memory, or trying to and returning out of memory errors.(CVE-2023-23916)",
  "id": "OESA-2023-1123",
  "modified": "2026-08-06T11:05:35Z",
  "published": "2023-02-24T11:05:35Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://www.openeuler.org/en/security/safety-bulletin/detail.html?id=openEuler-SA-2023-1123"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-23916"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.7.2",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "curl security update",
  "upstream": [
    "CVE-2023-23916"
  ]
}

CVE-2023-23916 (GCVE-0-2023-23916)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2023-02-23 00:00 – Updated: 2025-03-12 18:25

Summary

An allocation of resources without limits or throttling vulnerability exists in curl <v7.88.0 based on the "chained" HTTP compression algorithms, meaning that a server response can be compressed multiple times and potentially with differentalgorithms. The number of acceptable "links" in this "decompression chain" wascapped, but the cap was implemented on a per-header basis allowing a maliciousserver to insert a virtually unlimited number of compression steps simply byusing many headers. The use of such a decompression chain could result in a "malloc bomb", making curl end up spending enormous amounts of allocated heap memory, or trying to and returning out of memory errors.

Severity

6.5 (Medium)


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

SSVC

Exploitation: poc Automatable: no Technical Impact: partial

CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)

Decision recorded 2025-03-12 18:24 UTC

CWE

CWE-770 - Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (CWE-770)
CWE-770 - Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling

Assigner

hackerone mitre root

References

6 references

URL	Tags
https://hackerone.com/reports/1826048
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023…	mailing-list
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/pac…	vendor-advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5365	vendor-advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-2023030…
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-12	vendor-advisory

Impacted products

1 product

Vendor	Product	Version
n/a	https://github.com/curl/curl	Affected: Fixed in 7.88.0

Show details on NVD website

JSON

To clipboard

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2024-08-02T10:42:26.847Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "tags": [
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            "url": "https://hackerone.com/reports/1826048"
          },
          {
            "name": "[debian-lts-announce] 20230224 [SECURITY] [DLA 3341-1] curl security update",
            "tags": [
              "mailing-list",
              "x_transferred"
            ],
            "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/02/msg00035.html"
          },
          {
            "name": "FEDORA-2023-94df30cbec",
            "tags": [
              "vendor-advisory",
              "x_transferred"
            ],
            "url": "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BQKE6TXYDHOTFHLTBZ5X73GTKI7II5KO/"
          },
          {
            "name": "DSA-5365",
            "tags": [
              "vendor-advisory",
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            ],
            "url": "https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5365"
          },
          {
            "tags": [
              "x_transferred"
            ],
            "url": "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230309-0006/"
          },
          {
            "name": "GLSA-202310-12",
            "tags": [
              "vendor-advisory",
              "x_transferred"
            ],
            "url": "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-12"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      },
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "cvssV3_1": {
              "attackComplexity": "LOW",
              "attackVector": "NETWORK",
              "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
              "baseScore": 6.5,
              "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
              "confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
              "integrityImpact": "NONE",
              "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
              "scope": "UNCHANGED",
              "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
              "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
              "version": "3.1"
            }
          },
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2023-23916",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "poc"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2025-03-12T18:24:35.695221Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "problemTypes": [
          {
            "descriptions": [
              {
                "cweId": "CWE-770",
                "description": "CWE-770 Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling",
                "lang": "en",
                "type": "CWE"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2025-03-12T18:25:23.845Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "https://github.com/curl/curl",
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "Fixed in 7.88.0"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "An allocation of resources without limits or throttling vulnerability exists in curl \u003cv7.88.0 based on the \"chained\" HTTP compression algorithms, meaning that a server response can be compressed multiple times and potentially with differentalgorithms. The number of acceptable \"links\" in this \"decompression chain\" wascapped, but the cap was implemented on a per-header basis allowing a maliciousserver to insert a virtually unlimited number of compression steps simply byusing many headers. The use of such a decompression chain could result in a \"malloc bomb\", making curl end up spending enormous amounts of allocated heap memory, or trying to and returning out of memory errors."
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-770",
              "description": "Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (CWE-770)",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2023-10-11T10:06:40.617Z",
        "orgId": "36234546-b8fa-4601-9d6f-f4e334aa8ea1",
        "shortName": "hackerone"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://hackerone.com/reports/1826048"
        },
        {
          "name": "[debian-lts-announce] 20230224 [SECURITY] [DLA 3341-1] curl security update",
          "tags": [
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          ],
          "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/02/msg00035.html"
        },
        {
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          "tags": [
            "vendor-advisory"
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          "url": "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BQKE6TXYDHOTFHLTBZ5X73GTKI7II5KO/"
        },
        {
          "name": "DSA-5365",
          "tags": [
            "vendor-advisory"
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          "url": "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230309-0006/"
        },
        {
          "name": "GLSA-202310-12",
          "tags": [
            "vendor-advisory"
          ],
          "url": "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-12"
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "36234546-b8fa-4601-9d6f-f4e334aa8ea1",
    "assignerShortName": "hackerone",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-23916",
    "datePublished": "2023-02-23T00:00:00.000Z",
    "dateReserved": "2023-01-19T00:00:00.000Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2025-03-12T18:25:23.845Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.1"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.

Related by attack behaviour

Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.