CVE-2026-14457 RPK Server Signature Algorithm Selection Can Dereference a Missing Certificate
A NULL pointer dereference in OpenSSL can cause a denial of service when using Raw Public Keys without a certificate.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-14457?
CVE-2026-14457 is a high-severity vulnerability in Openssl Openssl, published on 25 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Issue summary: In a server or client configuration with RFC7250 Raw Public Keys (RPKs) enabled, and only the private key (with no associated certificate) configured locally, a NULL pointer dereference may occur when the remote peer solicits raw public keys and also sends the typically omitted "signature_algorithms_cert" TLS extension.
Impact summary: The impact is limited to a possible Denial of Service as a result of an application abort, no data disclosure or remote command execution are possible.
CWE: CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference
Description: While a passing comment in sample code in the documentation suggests that key-only RPK configurations are supported, the best-practice RPK configuration is to always configure a corresponding certificate (possibly self-signed or signed by any convenient CA).
When the private key is configured along with a matching certificate, the "signature_algorithms_cert" extension is handled reliably even without the fix, and peer clients or servers that don't support raw public keys may be able to complete a TLS connection by pinning or verifying the corresponding certificate or its public key.
Deployments that prefer to configure just a private key with no certificate need to upgrade to an updated release as noted below.
FIPS impact: no
No FIPS modules are affected by this issue, as the SSL protocol implementation is outside the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary.
Weakness: CWE-476
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-14457?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Openssl Openssl.
How do I fix CVE-2026-14457?
Upgrade to a fixed version.
Is CVE-2026-14457 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-14457 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Openssl Openssl
Sources
Also known as ALPINE-CVE-2026-14457, BELL-CVE-2026-14457, CLEANSTART-2026-VP80967, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-14457, GHSA-6m2h-7hrp-6jw8, MINI-mmh4-ff68-p7mq and 1 more.