CVE-2018-8970

The int_x509_param_set_hosts function in lib/libcrypto/x509/x509_vpm.c in LibreSSL 2.7.0 before 2.7.1 does not support a certain special case of a zero name length, which causes silent omission of hostname verification, and consequently allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate. NOTE: the LibreSSL documentation indicates that this special case is supported, but the BoringSSL documentation does not.

Published: 2018-03-24 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2018-8970 is rated Moderate Risk (55.1/100): CVSS High severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.71%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2018-8970

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-03-04 0.37% 0.71% +0.34%
2 2026-03-01 0.71% 0.37% -0.34%
3 2026-02-04 — 0.71% —

Full EPSS history (38 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2018-8970

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.4 3.0 HIGH
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
 2.2 5.2 [email protected]
5.8 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:P)
Partial confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:P)
Partial integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:N)
No availability impact.
 8.6 4.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2018-8970

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2018-8970

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
openbsd libressl 2.7.0 cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:libressl:2.7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2018-8970

cvelogic Threat Intelligence