CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2024-45402 — Picotls is a TLS protocol library that allows users select different crypto backends based on their use case

Critical CVSS 9.8

Picotls is a TLS protocol library that allows users select different crypto backends based on their use case. When parsing a spoofed TLS handshake message, picotls (specifically, bindings within picotls that call the crypto libraries) may attempt to free the same memory twice. This double free occurs during the disposal of multiple objects without any intervening calls to malloc Typically, this triggers the malloc implementation to detect the error and abort the process. However, depending on the internals of malloc and the crypto backend being used, the flaw could potentially lead to a use-after-free scenario, which might allow for arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is addressed with commit 9b88159ce763d680e4a13b6e8f3171ae923a535d.

Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.8 (3.1)
Published
2024-10-11
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-415

Affected products

  • dena / picotls

Matched remediation archetype

Buffer bounds, memory safety, and memory corruption

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Check exposure

  • Identify affected native-code versions, build flags, architectures, parsers, codecs, drivers, and input paths in all shipped artifacts.
  • Determine whether untrusted data reaches the affected routine and the process privilege, sandbox, and network exposure.
  • Confirm statically linked, vendored, firmware, and platform-provided copies, not only package-manager records.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the maintained upstream correction or replace the affected component, then rebuild every dependent artifact from clean inputs.
  • Adopt bounds-checked interfaces, validated sizes and integer conversions, clear ownership, and memory-safe components where practical.
  • Enable supported compiler and runtime hardening and add sanitized tests and fuzz regression seeds derived from non-weaponized fixtures.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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