CVE-2023-53159
MEDIUMCVE-2023-53159 is a medium-severity (CVSS 4.5) CWE-126 vulnerability in openssl. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2023-53159 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
`openssl` `X509VerifyParamRef::set_host` buffer over-read
Real-World Exposure
opensslReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects crates.io packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
The openssl crate before 0.10.55 for Rust allows an out-of-bounds read via an empty string to X509VerifyParamRef::set_host.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🦀crates.io | openssl | ≥ 0.10.0&&< 0.10.55 | 0.10.55 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openssl. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update openssl to 0.10.55 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-53159 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2023-53159 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2023-53159. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-53159 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2023-53159 across crates.io dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.