# CVE-2023-0215: Use-after-free following BIO_new_NDEF

> A use-after-free in OpenSSL's BIO_new_NDEF function can cause a crash when processing invalid CMS data, impacting applications using SMIME or PKCS7 streaming.

- **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:** 8 Feb 2023
- **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2023-0215, AZL-13301, AZL-13352, AZL-37641, AZL-37898, CLEANSTART-2026-JM87342, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-0215, GHSA-r7jw-wp68-3xch, JLSEC-2026-233, RUSTSEC-2023-0009, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-0215

## What is CVE-2023-0215?

CVE-2023-0215 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Openssl Openssl, published on 8 Feb 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The public API function BIO_new_NDEF is a helper function used for streaming
ASN.1 data via a BIO. It is primarily used internally to OpenSSL to support the
SMIME, CMS and PKCS7 streaming capabilities, but may also be called directly by
end user applications.

The function receives a BIO from the caller, prepends a new BIO_f_asn1 filter
BIO onto the front of it to form a BIO chain, and then returns the new head of
the BIO chain to the caller. Under certain conditions, for example if a CMS
recipient public key is invalid, the new filter BIO is freed and the function
returns a NULL result indicating a failure. However, in this case, the BIO chain
is not properly cleaned up and the BIO passed by the caller still retains
internal pointers to the previously freed filter BIO. If the caller then goes on
to call BIO_pop() on the BIO then a use-after-free will occur. This will most
likely result in a crash.

This scenario occurs directly in the internal function B64_write_ASN1() which
may cause BIO_new_NDEF() to be called and will subsequently call BIO_pop() on
the BIO. This internal function is in turn called by the public API functions
PEM_write_bio_ASN1_stream, PEM_write_bio_CMS_stream, PEM_write_bio_PKCS7_stream,
SMIME_write_ASN1, SMIME_write_CMS and SMIME_write_PKCS7.

Other public API functions that may be impacted by this include
i2d_ASN1_bio_stream, BIO_new_CMS, BIO_new_PKCS7, i2d_CMS_bio_stream and
i2d_PKCS7_bio_stream.

The OpenSSL cms and smime command line applications are similarly affected.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-0215?

5 open source packages ship an affected version, including openssl-src. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `openssl-src` | crates.io | All versions | 111.25.0 |
| `openssl-src` | crates.io | All versions | 111.25.0 |
| `openssl-src` | crates.io | From 0.0.0-0 | 111.25.0, 300.0.12 |
| `openssl-src` | crates.io | From 300.0.0 | 300.0.12 |
| `openssl-src` | crates.io | From 300.0.0 | 300.0.12 |

Products: Openssl Openssl, Stormshield Stormshield Management Center.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-0215?

Upgrade openssl-src to a fixed version for your release line: 111.25.0 or 300.0.12.

## Is CVE-2023-0215 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-0215 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Openssl Openssl

- [CVE-2009-3245](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3245/): Null dereference in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-3738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-3738/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-63073](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63073/): Untrusted Sender DN Used as Format String in CMP Response Validation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-6309](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6309/): Use after free in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-0799](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-0799/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-0215 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-0215 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Openssl Openssl, published on 8 Feb 2023. 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-2023-0215 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- openssl-src (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 111.25.0
- openssl-src (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 111.25.0
- openssl-src (crates.io): affected from 0.0.0-0; fixed in 111.25.0, 300.0.12
- openssl-src (crates.io): affected from 300.0.0; fixed in 300.0.12
- openssl-src (crates.io): affected from 300.0.0; fixed in 300.0.12

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-2023-0215/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0215/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-0215
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-0215
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-0215

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0215/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.