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CVE-2021-3711 OpenSSL

Affected softwareOpenSSL
Severity9.8 Critical CVSS 3.1 2 scores
WeaknessCWE-120
Published24 Aug 2021
Updated8 Oct 2026

Description

In order to decrypt SM2 encrypted data an application is expected to call the API function EVP_PKEY_decrypt(). Typically an application will call this function twice. The first time, on entry, the "out" parameter can be NULL and, on exit, the "outlen" parameter is populated with the buffer size required to hold the decrypted plaintext. The application can then allocate a sufficiently sized buffer and call EVP_PKEY_decrypt() again, but this time passing a non-NULL value for the "out" parameter. A bug in the implementation of the SM2 decryption code means that the calculation of the buffer size required to hold the plaintext returned by the first call to EVP_PKEY_decrypt() can be smaller than the actual size required by the second call. This can lead to a buffer overflow when EVP_PKEY_decrypt() is called by the application a second time with a buffer that is too small. A malicious attacker who is able present SM2 content for decryption to an application could cause attacker chosen data to overflow the buffer by up to a maximum of 62 bytes altering the contents of other data held after the buffer, possibly changing application behaviour or causing the application to crash. The location of the buffer is application dependent but is typically heap allocated. Fixed in OpenSSL 1.1.1l (Affected 1.1.1-1.1.1k).

Exploitation status

Forecast only (88% 30-day chance)

No exploit has been reported in the sources we check. EPSS puts this CVE in the top 0.23% of all scored CVEs. That is a model's forecast, not a report of exploitation.

  • CISA KEV not listed
  • VulnCheck KEV not listed
  • CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: none
  • Indexed PoC 1 indexed, none at 5+ stars
  • EPSS 88% chance in 30 days A model's forecast, not a report of exploitation. Higher than 99.8% of all scored CVEs.

1 of these are GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars. They are listed for reference and don't count toward the exploitation status above.

IndexArtifactStarsFirst seen
GitHub PoC Offline length-arithmetic model of the OpenSSL SM2 decryption buffer sizing (CVE-2021-3711). Sizes only: no cryptography, no buffers, no OpenSSL. 2026-11-09

Waratek protection

Outside Waratek scope

A Java vulnerability, but not one Waratek protects. It affects only Java on a user's desktop (applets, Web Start, JavaFX, the installer), sits in a product the Waratek agent can't be installed into, or is in a package we don't expect in business applications. The decision below says which.

  • Protection none
  • Action not pursued none
  • Review human Researcher
  • Record active
Decided by Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset
Finding A manual classification set this CVE's status to Outside Waratek scope, but the CVE names a tracked product.

CVSS

9.8 CRITICAL v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 2 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

VersionScoreBandVectorAssignerType
CVSS 3.1 9.8 CRITICAL CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H NVD Primary published
CVSS 2.0 7.5 none AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P NVD Primary

Affected software and releases

Oracle advisories

AdvisoryTypeQuarterProducts Oracle names in its risk matrix
Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2025 ↗ CPU 2025-Q4 Oracle Hyperion / Installation (OpenSSL) (11.2.22.0.000)
Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2022 ↗ CPU 2022-Q2 Oracle Health Sciences Applications / Connector (OpenSSL) (6.2.1.0, 6.3.1.1)
Oracle JD Edwards / Enterprise Infrastructure (OpenSSL) (Prior to 9.2.6.3)
Oracle JD Edwards / World Software Security (OpenSSL) (A9.4)
Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2022 ↗ CPU 2022-Q1 Oracle Essbase / Infrastructure (OpenSSL) (Prior to 11.1.2.4.047, Prior to 21.3)
Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2021 ↗ CPU 2021-Q4 Oracle MySQL / Server: Packaging (OpenSSL) (5.7.35 and prior, 8.0.26 and prior)

Oracle components and versions

FamilyComponentVersions, as Oracle lists themRead as
Oracle Essbase Infrastructure (OpenSSL) Prior to 11.1.2.4.047, Prior to 21.3
Oracle Health Sciences Applications Connector (OpenSSL) 6.2.1.0, 6.3.1.1 6.2.1.0 · 6.3.1.1
Oracle Hyperion Installation (OpenSSL) 11.2.22.0.000 11.2.22.0.0
Oracle JD Edwards Enterprise Infrastructure (OpenSSL) Prior to 9.2.6.3
Oracle JD Edwards World Software Security (OpenSSL) A9.4
Oracle MySQL Server: Packaging (OpenSSL) 5.7.35 and prior, 8.0.26 and prior

Products and versions

31 products, 41 version entries
SourceVendorProductSchemeAffected versions
nvd debian debian linux generic 10.0 · 11.0
nvd netapp active iq unified manager generic any version
nvd netapp clustered data ontap generic any version
nvd netapp clustered data ontap antivirus connector generic any version
nvd netapp e-series santricity os controller generic ≥ 11.0 and ≤ 11.50.2
nvd netapp hci management node generic any version
nvd netapp manageability software development kit generic any version
nvd netapp oncommand insight generic any version
nvd netapp oncommand workflow automation generic any version
nvd netapp santricity smi-s provider generic any version
nvd netapp snapcenter generic any version
nvd netapp solidfire generic any version
nvd netapp storage encryption generic any version
nvd openssl openssl generic ≥ 1.1.1 and < 1.1.1
nvd oracle communications cloud native core security edge protection proxy generic 1.7.0
nvd oracle communications cloud native core unified data repository generic 1.15.0
nvd oracle communications session border controller generic 8.4 · 9.0
nvd oracle communications unified session manager generic 8.2.5 · 8.4.5
nvd oracle enterprise communications broker generic 3.2.0 · 3.3.0
nvd oracle enterprise session border controller generic 8.4 · 9.0
nvd oracle essbase generic < 11.1.2.4.47 · ≥ 21.1 and < 21.3
nvd oracle health sciences inform publisher generic 6.2.1.1 · 6.3.1.1
nvd oracle jd edwards enterpriseone tools generic < 9.2.6.3
nvd oracle jd edwards world security generic a9.4
nvd oracle mysql connectors generic ≤ 8.0.27
nvd oracle mysql enterprise monitor generic ≤ 8.0.25
nvd oracle mysql server generic ≥ 5.7.0 and ≤ 5.7.35 · ≥ 8.0.0 and ≤ 8.0.26
nvd oracle peoplesoft enterprise peopletools generic 8.57 · 8.58 · 8.59
nvd oracle zfs storage appliance kit generic 8.8
nvd tenable nessus network monitor generic ≤ 5.13.1
nvd tenable tenable.sc generic ≥ 5.16.0 and ≤ 5.19.1

Earlier manual review

A reviewer classified this CVE in an older dataset. We kept the labels and products below, but not the reviewer's reasoning.

## Manual Classification Context **Labels:** MYSQL PROTOCOL, HTTPS, INFRASTRUCTURE (OPENSSL), NO AUTH REMOTE EXPLOIT, SERVER: PACKAGING (OPENSSL) **Products:** ORACLE ESSBASE, MYSQL SERVER, ORACLE MYSQL

References

URLTags
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/08/26/2 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-389290.pdf Third Party Advisory
https://git.openssl.org/gitweb/?p=openssl.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=59f5e75f3bced8fc0e130d72a3f582cf7b480b46
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r18995de860f0e63635f3008fd2a6aca82394249476d21691e7c59c9e%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rad5d9f83f0d11fb3f8bb148d179b8a9ad7c6a17f18d70e5805a713d1%40%3Cdev.tomcat.apache.org%3E
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202209-02 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202210-02 Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210827-0010/ Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211022-0003/ Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240621-0006/

Timeline

Published2021-08-24By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified2026-10-08NVD's own last-modified date for this record.