#VU116214 Covert Timing Channel in OpenSSL - CVE-2025-9231

Vulnerability identifier: #VU116214

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 1.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2025-9231

CWE-ID: CWE-385

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
OpenSSL
Server applications / Encryption software

Vendor: OpenSSL Software Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to gain access to sensitive information.

The vulnerability exists due to timing side-channel in SM2 signature computations on 64 bit ARM platforms. A remote attacker can recover the private key and decrypt data.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

OpenSSL: 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.4.0, 3.4.1, 3.4.2, 3.5.0, 3.5.1, 3.5.2, 3.5.3

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External links
https://openssl-library.org/news/secadv/20250930.txt

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.