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🛡️ CVE-2023-33202 — bouncy-castle-for-java

🟡 CVSS 5.5 — Medium ⚠️ Exploit Public CWE-400 NVD
5.5
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

Bouncy Castle for Java before 1.73 contains a potential Denial of Service (DoS) issue within the Bouncy Castle org.bouncycastle.openssl.PEMParser class. This class parses OpenSSL PEM encoded streams containing X.509 certificates, PKCS8 encoded keys, and PKCS7 objects. Parsing a file that has crafted ASN.1 data through the PEMParser causes an OutOfMemoryError, which can enable a denial of service attack. (For users of the FIPS Java API: BC-FJA 1.0.2.3 and earlier are affected; BC-FJA 1.0.2.4 is fixed.)

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. A user must be tricked into taking some action. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity none, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

  • Attack vector: Local — a local account, shell or session on the host is needed.
  • Attack complexity: Low — the attack works reliably, with no preparation.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: Required — someone has to click, open or visit something.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: None.
  • Integrity impact: None.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Weakness class

CVE-2023-33202 is classified as CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption. A request can consume memory, CPU or storage without limit, exhausting capacity for everyone else.

Affected software

CVE-2023-33202 is recorded against 11 packages.

  • bouncy-castle-for-java (fixed in 1.73)
  • fips-java-api (fixed in 1.0.2.4)
  • org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on (fixed in 1.73)
  • org.bouncycastle:bcprov-ext-jdk15on (fixed in 1.73)
  • org.bouncycastle:bcprov-ext-jdk16 (fixed in 1.73)
  • org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk14 (fixed in 1.73)
  • org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15 (fixed in 1.73)
  • org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15on
  • org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15to18 (fixed in 1.73)
  • org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk16 (fixed in 1.73)
  • org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk18on (fixed in 1.73)

Timeline and source

Published on 23 November 2023 and last revised on 17 June 2026. A public exploit is known to exist, which raises the urgency of patching considerably. Record sourced from NVD.

References

bouncycastle.org
github.com
github.com
security.netapp.com
bouncycastle.org
github.com
security.netapp.com

Same weakness in other software

These advisories are the same class of weakness (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) in other software:

CVE-2023-33202 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity MEDIUM
CVSS Score 5.5
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE CWE-400
Public Exploit ⚠️ Yes
Source NVD
Published 2023-11-23
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-06-17
Fix URL N/A

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
bouncy-castle-for-java 1.73
fips-java-api 1.0.2.4
org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk18on 1.73
org.bouncycastle:bcprov-ext-jdk15on 1.73
org.bouncycastle:bcprov-ext-jdk16 1.73
org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk14 1.73
org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15 1.73
org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15on
org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk15to18 1.73
org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk16 1.73
org.bouncycastle:bcprov-jdk18on 1.73

Exploit Protection

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CVE-2023-33202 carries CVSS 5.5 Medium rating and a public exploit already exists. BotEraser checks your installation against this and other known CVE records, and blocks IPs associated with exploit activity.

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