OpenSSL 3.5.0 x509 Application apps/x509.c x509_main certificate validation

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in OpenSSL 3.5.0. It has been rated as critical. Affected by this issue is the function x509_main of the file apps/x509.c of the component x509 Application. Performing a manipulation results in certificate validation. This vulnerability is identified as CVE-2025-4575. The attack is only possible with local access. There is not any exploit available. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in OpenSSL 3.5.0. This affects the function x509_main of the file apps/x509.c of the component x509 Application. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a certificate validation vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-295. The product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate. This is going to have an impact on integrity. The summary by CVE is:

Issue summary: Use of -addreject option with the openssl x509 application adds a trusted use instead of a rejected use for a certificate. Impact summary: If a user intends to make a trusted certificate rejected for a particular use it will be instead marked as trusted for that use. A copy & paste error during minor refactoring of the code introduced this issue in the OpenSSL 3.5 version. If, for example, a trusted CA certificate should be trusted only for the purpose of authenticating TLS servers but not for CMS signature verification and the CMS signature verification is intended to be marked as rejected with the -addreject option, the resulting CA certificate will be trusted for CMS signature verification purpose instead. Only users which use the trusted certificate format who use the openssl x509 command line application to add rejected uses are affected by this issue. The issues affecting only the command line application are considered to be Low severity. The FIPS modules in 3.5, 3.4, 3.3, 3.2, 3.1 and 3.0 are not affected by this issue. OpenSSL 3.4, 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, 3.0, 1.1.1 and 1.0.2 are also not affected by this issue.

The weakness was released by Alexandr Sosedkin. The advisory is shared at openssl-library.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2025-4575 since 05/12/2025. The exploitability is told to be easy. An attack has to be approached locally. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. MITRE ATT&CK project uses the attack technique T1587.003 for this issue.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 237112 (OpenSSL 3.5.0 < 3.5.1 Vulnerability), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 3.5.1 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch e96d22446e633d117e6c9904cb15b4693e956eaa is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at github.com. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (237112), EUVD (EUVD-2025-16128) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-1850). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Affected

• Xerox FreeFlow Print Server

Productinfo

Type

• Network Encryption Software

Name

• OpenSSL

Version

• 3.5.0

License

• open-source

Website

• Product: https://www.openssl.org/

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If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

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