# CVE-2022-2509: Use after free in GnuTLS

> A double free error in GnuTLS PKCS7 signature verification allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Aug 2022
- **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2022-2509, ALSA-2022:6854, ALSA-2022:7105, AZL-10439, CLSA-2023-1685536090, CLSA-2023-1685536317, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-2509, DSA-5203-1, GHSA-w33j-4mrg-pgc3, JLSEC-2026-523, MGASA-2022-0301, OESA-2022-1822, RHSA-2022:6854, RHSA-2022:7105, RLSA-2022:6854, RLSA-2022:7105, SUSE-SU-2022:2882-1, SUSE-SU-2022:2919-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-2509, openSUSE-SU-2022:2882-1, openSUSE-SU-2024:12233-1

## What is CVE-2022-2509?

CVE-2022-2509 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 1 Aug 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability found in gnutls. This security flaw happens because of a double free error occurs during verification of pkcs7 signatures in gnutls_pkcs7_verify function.

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-2509?

It affects 4 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `gnutls` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-c++` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-dane` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-utils` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-c++` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-dane` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-devel` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-utils` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-c++` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-c++-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-dane` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-dane-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-utils` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-utils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-c++-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-dane-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-utils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.6.16-5.el8_6 |
| `gnutls-c++` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-c++-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-dane` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-dane-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-utils` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-utils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-c++-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-dane-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |
| `gnutls-utils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.7.6-12.el9_0 |

Products: Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Gnu Gnutls, Redhat Enterprise Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-2509?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-2509 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-2509 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-2509 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-2509 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 1 Aug 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-2509 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2509/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2509/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-2509
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-2509
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-2509

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2509/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.