A high-severity stack buffer overflow in OpenSSL could lead to remote code execution or denial of service when processing malformed encrypted messages.

This vulnerability involves a stack buffer overflow triggered by sending a malformed encrypted message with an oversized Initialization Vector (IV). The overflow occurs before authentication or tag verification, making it accessible to unauthenticated attackers.

This flaw carries a CVSS score of 8.8, posing a severe risk to any infrastructure relying on OpenSSL for secure communications. Successful exploitation could result in service disruption (Denial of Service) or remote code execution, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of encrypted data streams and the underlying host systems.

Immediate Action: Upgrade to the patched versions: OpenSSL 3.0.19, 3.3.6, 3.4.4, 3.5.5, or 3.6.1. For Layer7 API Gateway, apply the January 2026 (11.2) or February 2026 (11.1) monthly platform patches.

Proactive Monitoring: Monitor system logs for repeated crash events or anomalous memory usage associated with TLS/SSL processing services.

Compensating Controls: Utilize Web Application Firewalls (WAF) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) configured to inspect and block malformed CMS/AEAD encrypted traffic.

Public Exploit Available: true

Immediate remediation is critical due to the availability of public exploits. Organizations must prioritize patching OpenSSL and dependent platforms to prevent potential remote code execution attacks against their secure communication services.