CVE-2023-26463
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable...
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
9.8
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
- Record
CVE-2023-26463- 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 - Weakness
- CWE-295, CWE-476
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
9.8
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
- Record
CVE-2023-26463- 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 - Weakness
- CWE-476, CWE-295
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-30283
9.8
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
- Record
EUVD-2023-30283- 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 - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-vcx9-7pcc-q8c7
9.8
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable...
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
- Record
GHSA-vcx9-7pcc-q8c7- 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 - Weakness
- CWE-295
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2023-26463
9.8
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
- Record
ALPINE-CVE-2023-26463- 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 - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVAZL-26300
9.8
CVE-2023-26463 affecting package strongswan for versions less than 5.9.10-1
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
- Record
AZL-26300- 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 - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
9.8
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
- Record
CVE-2023-26463- 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 - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2023-26463
9.8
strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2023-26463- 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 - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:12749-1 No score
strongswan-5.9.10-1.1 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the strongswan-5.9.10-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:12749-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
strongswanAlpine:v3.17 |
before 5.9.10-r0 | 5.9.10-r0 |
strongswanAlpine:v3.18 |
before 5.9.10-r0 | 5.9.10-r0 |
strongswanAlpine:v3.19 |
before 5.9.10-r0 | 5.9.10-r0 |
strongswanAlpine:v3.20 |
before 5.9.10-r0 | 5.9.10-r0 |
strongswanAlpine:v3.21 |
before 5.9.10-r0 | 5.9.10-r0 |
strongswanAlpine:v3.22 |
before 5.9.10-r0 | 5.9.10-r0 |
strongswanAlpine:v3.23 |
before 5.9.10-r0 | 5.9.10-r0 |
strongswanAlpine:v3.24 |
before 5.9.10-r0 | 5.9.10-r0 |
strongswanAzure Linux:2 |
before 5.9.10-1 | 5.9.10-1 |
strongswanDebian:12 |
before 5.9.8-4 | 5.9.8-4 |
strongswanDebian:13 |
before 5.9.8-4 | 5.9.8-4 |
strongswanDebian:14 |
before 5.9.8-4 | 5.9.8-4 |
strongswanopenSUSE:Tumbleweed |
before 5.9.10-1.1 | 5.9.10-1.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-26463 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Strongswan, published April 14, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.26%, the 83rd percentile. Fixed in strongswan 5.9.10-r0.
References
github.com/strongswan/strongswan/releases
strongswan.org/blog/2023/03/02/strongswan-vulnerability-%28cve-2023-26463%29.html
security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230517-0010
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-26463
github.com/advisories/GHSA-vcx9-7pcc-q8c7
security.alpinelinux.org/vuln/CVE-2023-26463
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/26xxx/CVE-2023-26463.json
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2023-26463
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-26463