Summary
X.509 Email Address Variable Length Buffer Overflow
A buffer overrun can be triggered in X.509 certificate verification,
specifically in name constraint checking. Note that this occurs after
certificate chain signature verification and requires either a CA to
have signed a malicious certificate or for an application to continue
certificate verification despite failure to construct a path to a trusted
issuer. An attacker can craft a malicious email address in a certificate
to overflow an arbitrary number of bytes containing the . character
(decimal 46) on the stack. This buffer overflow could result in a crash
(causing a denial of service).
In a TLS client, this can be triggered by connecting to a malicious
server. In a TLS server, this can be triggered if the server requests
client authentication and a malicious client connects.
Impact
CVE-2022-3786 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (300.0.11); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-3786? CVE-2022-3786 is a high-severity security vulnerability in openssl-src (rust), affecting versions >= 300.0.0, < 300.0.11. It is fixed in 300.0.11.
- How severe is CVE-2022-3786? CVE-2022-3786 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of openssl-src are affected by CVE-2022-3786? openssl-src (rust) versions >= 300.0.0, < 300.0.11 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-3786? Yes. CVE-2022-3786 is fixed in 300.0.11. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-3786 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-3786 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2022-3786 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2022-3786? Upgrade
openssl-srcto 300.0.11 or later.