Double Free in Dena Picotls

CVE-2024-45402

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.

Vulnerability class: Double Free

EPSS: 0.005 (38.4th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.6 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2024-45402?
CVE-2024-45402 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dena Picotls, classified under Double Free. CVSS score: 8.6/10. Published 2024-10-11.
How severe is CVE-2024-45402?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.6 out of 10.
Is CVE-2024-45402 known to be exploited?
3 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.