Issue summary: An uncommon configuration of clients performing DANE TLSA-based server...

Description

Issue summary: An uncommon configuration of clients performing DANE TLSA-based
server authentication, when paired with uncommon server DANE TLSA records, may
result in a use-after-free and/or double-free on the client side.

Impact summary: A use after free can have a range of potential consequences
such as the corruption of valid data, crashes or execution of arbitrary code.

However, the issue only affects clients that make use of TLSA records with both
the PKIX-TA(0/PKIX-EE(1) certificate usages and the DANE-TA(2) certificate
usage.

By far the most common deployment of DANE is in SMTP MTAs for which RFC7672
recommends that clients treat as 'unusable' any TLSA records that have the PKIX
certificate usages. These SMTP (or other similar) clients are not vulnerable
to this issue. Conversely, any clients that support only the PKIX usages, and
ignore the DANE-TA(2) usage are also not vulnerable.

The client would also need to be communicating with a server that publishes a
TLSA RRset with both types of TLSA records.

No FIPS modules are affected by this issue, the problem code is outside the
FIPS module boundary.

Basic information

Type
unreviewed
Severity
high
Advisory on GitHub
Open advisory ↗
Repository advisory
Source code
Not specified
Published (advisory)
2026-04-08 00:30:25 UTC
Updated
2026-05-12 15:31:15 UTC
NVD published
2026-04-07

EPSS Score

Score Percentile
0.04% 13.28%

CVSS Scores

Base score Version Severity Vector
8.1 3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 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:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.

Identifiers

CWEs

CWE id Name
CWE-416 Use After Free

References

cvelogic Threat Intelligence