Overview
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-9230, is an out-of-bounds read and write issue occurring in the process of decrypting CMS messages encrypted using password-based encryption. Despite its moderate severity rating, a successful exploitation can lead to severe consequences such as system compromise, data leakage, or execution of attacker-supplied code. Systems using FIPS modules 3.0 to 3.5 are immune to this vulnerability as their CMS implementation is beyond the OpenSSL FIPS module’s boundary.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-9230
Severity: Moderate (CVSS: 7.5)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Denial of Service, Memory Corruption, Execution of Attacker-Supplied Code
Affected Products
Share secrets securely
Ameeba is private infrastructure for communication and sensitive work built on encrypted identity instead of exposed corporate identity systems.
Passwords, credentials, confidential files, screenshots, internal discussions, sensitive AI context, and private coordination should not become exposed across ordinary communication platforms.
- • Encrypted identity
- • Private Spaces for organizations and teams
- • End-to-end encrypted chat, calls, files, and notes
- • Sensitive AI work and protected collaboration
- • Built for information that cannot leak
Our mission is to secure human work alongside AI.
Product | Affected Versions
OpenSSL | All versions except 3.0 to 3.5
How the Exploit Works
An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can trigger an out-of-bounds read and write operation during the decryption of CMS messages encrypted with password-based encryption. The out-of-bounds read may instigate an application crash, thus resulting in a Denial of Service, whereas the out-of-bounds write can lead to memory corruption. This memory corruption could potentially allow the execution of code supplied by the attacker.
Conceptual Example Code
Although there is no specific example code for this exploit, a theoretical exploitation scenario would involve the attacker sending a maliciously crafted CMS message encrypted with password-based encryption to the target system. The decryption process of this message by the target system would trigger the out-of-bounds read and write vulnerability. The code below is a conceptual representation of this scenario:
openssl cms -decrypt -in malicious_cms_message.cms -out decrypted_message.txt -password attacker_supplied_passwordIn this case, ‘malicious_cms_message.cms’ would be a CMS message crafted by the attacker to exploit the vulnerability. The decryption process would then potentially trigger the out-of-bounds read and write operations, leading to the possible consequences outlined above.