GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq
GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq is a CWE-131 vulnerability in openssl. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
rust-openssl: Potential out-of-bounds write in `CipherCtxRef::cipher_update_inplace` for AES-KW-PAD ciphers
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
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
CipherCtxRef::cipher_update_inplace incorrectly sized output buffers when used with AES key-wrap-with-padding ciphers (EVP_aes_{128,192,256}_wrap_pad). For a non-multiple-of-8 input, OpenSSL writes up to 7 bytes past the end of the caller's buffer or Vec, producing attacker-controllable heap corruption when the plaintext length is attacker-influenced.
This only impacts users using AES key-wrap-with-padding ciphers.
This method was missed in the fix for GHSA-xv59-967r-8726
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🦀crates.io | openssl | ≥ 0.10.50&&< 0.10.80 | 0.10.80 |
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 0.10.80 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq 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 GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq 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 GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-phqj-4mhp-q6mq 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.