CVE-2017-9023 Denial of service in n/a

High 7.5 Published 8 Jun 2017 Updated 3 Dec 2025

Remote attackers can cause a denial of service via infinite loop in strongSwan ASN.1 parser when x509 plugin is enabled.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Not needed
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: Available

What is CVE-2017-9023?

CVE-2017-9023 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in n/a, published on 8 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

Official description

The ASN.1 parser in strongSwan before 5.5.3 improperly handles CHOICE types when the x509 plugin is enabled, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a crafted certificate.

Weakness: CWE-835

Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-9023?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Strongswan Strongswan.

How do I fix CVE-2017-9023?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.

Is CVE-2017-9023 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-9023 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as ALPINE-CVE-2017-9023, DEBIAN-CVE-2017-9023, GHSA-3vpr-mhgf-fgjv, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-9023.