Incorrect Tag Processing for Empty Messages in AES-GCM-SIV and AES-SIV modes
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 11 fixed, 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
Issue summary: The implementations of AES-SIV (RFC 5297) and AES-GCM-SIV (RFC 8452) mishandle the authentication of AAD (Additional Authenticated Data) with an empty ciphertext allowing a forgery of such messages. Impact summary: An attacker can forge empty messages with arbitrary AAD to the victim's application using these ciphers. AES-SIV (RFC 5297) and AES-GCM-SIV (RFC 8452) are nonce-misuse-resistant AEAD modes: they accept a key, nonce, optional AAD (bytes that are authenticated but not encrypted), and plaintext, and produces ciphertext plus a 16-byte tag. On decrypt, `EVP_DecryptFinal_ex()` is documented to return success only if the tag is verified succesfully. In OpenSSL's provider implementation of these ciphers, the expected tag is computed only when decryption function is invoked with non-empty data. If the caller supplies AAD and then calls `EVP_DecryptFinal_ex()` without invocation of the ciphertext update, which can happen when the received ciphertext length is zero, the tag is never recalculated and still holds its all-zeros value. When AES-GCM-SIV is used, an attacker who sends arbitrary AAD, empty ciphertext, and all-zeros tag passes authentication under any key they do not know, single-shot. When AES-SIV is used, for mounting the attack it's necessary for the application to reuse the decryption context without resetting the key. AES-SIV is implemented since OpenSSL 3.0. AES-GCM-SIV is implemented since OpenSSL 3.2. No protocols implemented in OpenSSL itself (TLS/CMS/PKCS7/HPKE/QUIC) support either AES-GCM-SIV or AES-SIV. To mount an attack, the applications must implement their own protocol and use the EVP interface. Also they must skip the ciphertext update when a message with an empty ciphertext arrives. The FIPS modules in 4.0, 3.6, 3.5, 3.4, and 3.0 are not affected by this issue, as these algorithms are not FIPS approved and the affected code is outside the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSSL | OpenSSL | 4.0.0 to before 4.0.1; 3.6.0 to before 3.6.3; 3.5.0 to before 3.5.7; 3.4.0 to before 3.4.6; 3.0.0 to before 3.0.21 | 4.0.1, 3.6.3, 3.5.7, 3.4.6, 3.0.21 | Patch available | CNA |
- OpenSSL VendorOpenSSL Affected 4.0.0 to before 4.0.1; 3.6.0 to before 3.6.3; 3.5.0 to before 3.5.7; 3.4.0 to before 3.4.6; 3.0.0 to before 3.0.21 Fixed in 4.0.1, 3.6.3, 3.5.7, 3.4.6, 3.0.21 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA OpenSSL (OpenSSL) Fixed in 4.0.1, 3.6.3, 3.5.7, 3.4.6, 3.0.21
Red Hat 22 advisories
- RHSA-2026:82888 Released 2026-10-14 · Red Hat rating Importantcert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.17.2
- Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.17 registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/cert-manager-operator-bundle
- RHSA-2026:82857 Released 2026-10-14 · Red Hat rating Importantcert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.18.2
- Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.18 registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/cert-manager-operator-bundle
- RHSA-2026:82372 Released 2026-10-13 · Red Hat rating Importantcert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.18.2
- Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.18 registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/cert-manager-operator-rhel9
Show 19 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2026:82354 Released 2026-10-13 · Red Hat rating Importantcert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.18.2
- Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.18 registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/cert-manager-istio-csr-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:82347 Released 2026-10-13 · Red Hat rating Importantcert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.18.2
- Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.18 registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/jetstack-cert-manager-acmesolver-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/jetstack-cert-manager-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:82322 Released 2026-10-13 · Red Hat rating Importantcert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.17.2
- Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.17 registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/cert-manager-operator-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:82304 Released 2026-10-13 · Red Hat rating Importantcert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.17.2
- Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.17 registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/jetstack-cert-manager-acmesolver-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/jetstack-cert-manager-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:72502 Released 2026-09-28 · Red Hat rating Importantcert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.20.1
- Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.20 registry.redhat.io/cert-manager/cert-manager-trust-manager-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:67551 Released 2026-09-15 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images bootupd-0.3.2-1.hum1@aarch64, bootupd-0.3.2-1.hum1@x86_64, rust-bootupd-0.3.2-1.hum1@src
- RHSA-2026:62790 Released 2026-09-02 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images ruby3.4-3.4.10-31.7.hum1@aarch64, ruby3.4-3.4.10-31.7.hum1@src, ruby3.4-3.4.10-31.7.hum1@x86_64 +10
- RHSA-2026:62563 Released 2026-09-02 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update
- Red Hat Hardened Images ruby4.0-4.0.6-37.3.hum1@aarch64, ruby4.0-4.0.6-37.3.hum1@src, ruby4.0-4.0.6-37.3.hum1@x86_64 +46
- RHSA-2026:62562 Released 2026-09-02 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update
- Red Hat Hardened Images ruby3.3-3.3.10-23.6.hum1@aarch64, ruby3.3-3.3.10-23.6.hum1@src, ruby3.3-3.3.10-23.6.hum1@x86_64 +46
- RHSA-2026:59641 Released 2026-08-25 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images openssl-1:3.5.8-0.1.hum1@aarch64, openssl-1:3.5.8-0.1.hum1@src, openssl-1:3.5.8-0.1.hum1@x86_64 +12
- RHSA-2026:59635 Released 2026-08-25 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images openssl3-1:3.5.8-0.1.hum1@src, openssl3-devel-1:3.5.8-0.1.hum1@aarch64, openssl3-devel-1:3.5.8-0.1.hum1@x86_64 +4
- RHSA-2026:58981 Released 2026-08-24 · Red Hat rating CriticalRed Hat Update Infrastructure 5.3 Technology Preview security update
- Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 registry.redhat.io/rhui5/cds-kubernetes-tp-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/rhui5/installer-tp-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/rhui5/rhua-tp-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:55543 Released 2026-08-17 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images python-cryptography-50.0.0-1.hum1@src, python3-cryptography-50.0.0-1.hum1@aarch64, python3-cryptography-50.0.0-1.hum1@x86_64
- RHSA-2026:42825 Released 2026-07-21 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs bug fix and enhancement update
- Red Hat Hardened Images chunkah-0.6.0-3.hum1@aarch64, chunkah-0.6.0-3.hum1@src, chunkah-0.6.0-3.hum1@x86_64
- RHSA-2026:34102 Released 2026-07-01 · Red Hat rating ImportantInsights proxy Container Image
- Red Hat Insights proxy 1.5 registry.redhat.io/insights-proxy/insights-proxy-container-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:29197 Released 2026-06-24 · Red Hat rating ImportantA Subscription Management tool for finding and reporting Red Hat product usage
- Red Hat Discovery 2 registry.redhat.io/discovery/discovery-server-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/discovery/discovery-ui-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:26319 Released 2026-06-16 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Update Infrastructure 5.2 security update
- Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 registry.redhat.io/rhui5/cds-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/rhui5/haproxy-rhel9, registry.redhat.io/rhui5/installer-rhel9 +1
- RHSA-2026:25239 Released 2026-06-11 · Red Hat rating Importantopenssl security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) openssl-devel-1:3.5.5-4.el9_8, openssl-perl-1:3.5.5-4.el9_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) openssl-1:3.5.5-4.el9_8, openssl-libs-1:3.5.5-4.el9_8
- RHSA-2026:25237 Released 2026-06-11 · Red Hat rating Importantopenssl security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) openssl-devel-1:3.5.5-4.el10_2, openssl-perl-1:3.5.5-4.el10_2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) openssl-1:3.5.5-4.el10_2, openssl-libs-1:3.5.5-4.el10_2
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Advisory ·
OpenSSL — openssl-library.org/news/secadv/20260609.txt
18 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 6 MEDIUM, 12 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-33226 Heap Use-After-Free in the PKCS7_verify() FunctionPriority MEDIUM 47
- TI-2026-26479 CMS AuthEnvelopedData Processing May Accept Forged MessagesPriority MEDIUM 47
- TI-2026-30987 NULL Pointer Dereference in QUIC Server Initial Packet HandlingPriority MEDIUM 41
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.17 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:82304, RHSA-2026:82322, RHSA-2026:82888 |
| Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.18 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:82347, RHSA-2026:82354, RHSA-2026:82372, RHSA-2026:82857 |
| Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.20 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:72502 |
| Red Hat Discovery 2 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:29197 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:25237 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:25239 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:25237 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:25239 |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | Fixed | RHSA-2026:42825, RHSA-2026:55543, RHSA-2026:59635, RHSA-2026:59641, RHSA-2026:62562, RHSA-2026:62563, RHSA-2026:62790, RHSA-2026:67551 |
| Red Hat Insights proxy 1.5 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:34102 |
| Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:26319, RHSA-2026:58981 |
Not affected: 8 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Hardened Images
- Red Hat JBoss Core Services
- Red Hat JBoss Web Server 6
- Red Hat JBoss Web Server 7
- Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-45446
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7phf-qpm5-q6p3
- 2026-10-14 Fix available: RHSA-2026:82304 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-14 Fix available: RHSA-2026:82322 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-14 Fix available: RHSA-2026:82372 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-14 Fix available: RHSA-2026:82354 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-14 Fix available: RHSA-2026:82347 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-15 Fix available: RHSA-2026:82857 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-15 Fix available: RHSA-2026:82888 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-16 Fix available: Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.17, Cert Manager support for Red Hat OpenShift release 1.18 · Red Hat
References
More Openssl vulnerabilities
- TI-2022-01915 The c_rehash script allows command injection CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2021-02645 SM2 Decryption Buffer Overflow CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2009-03392 The TLS protocol, and the SSL protocol 3.0 and possibly earlier, as used in Microsoft… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-01176 The c_rehash script allows command injection CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2014-00154 The (1) TLS and (2) DTLS implementations in OpenSSL 1.0.1 before 1.0.1g do not properly… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2025-14107 Stack buffer overflow in CMS (Auth)EnvelopedData parsing CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-45446 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-45446 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7phf-qpm5-q6p3 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-45446 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences