CVE-2022-4304: Openssl src Openssl-src Subject To Timing Oracle Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-p52g-cm5j-mjv4
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CVSS 5.9
CWE-203
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2022-4304 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) openssl-src subject to timing oracle vulnerability (CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy) affecting Openssl src libraries in the crates.io ecosystem. The issue involves openssl-src subject to timing oracle in rsa decryption. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 111.25.0, 300.0.12.

CVE-2022-4304 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2022-4304
GHSA Identifier GHSA-p52g-cm5j-mjv4
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy
Affected Product Openssl src
Package Ecosystem crates.io
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2022-4304

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Openssl src dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

openssl-src fixed: 111.25.0 
Upgrade openssl-src to 111.25.0
openssl-src fixed: 300.0.12 
Upgrade openssl-src to 300.0.12
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for openssl-src

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2022-4304, inspect your project dependencies for Openssl src:

inspect dependencies for openssl-src

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Openssl src in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 111.25.0), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy, where the product behaves differently or sends different responses under different circumstances in a way that is observable to an unauthorized actor. In Openssl src, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A timing based side channel exists in the OpenSSL RSA Decryption implementation which could be sufficient to recover a plaintext across a network in a Bleichenbacher style attack. To achieve a successful decryption an attacker would have to be able to send a very large number of trial messages for decryption. The vulnerability affects all RSA padding modes: PKCS#1 v1.5, RSA-OEAP and RSASVE. For example, in a TLS connection, RSA is commonly used by a client to send an encrypted pre-master secret to the server. An attacker that had observed a genuine connection between a client and a server could use this flaw to send trial messages to the server and record the time taken to process them. After a sufficiently large number of messages the attacker could recover the pre-master secret used for the original connection and thus be able to decrypt the application data sent over that connection.

CVE-2022-4304 Affected Openssl src Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
111.25.0300.0.12
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
openssl-src
 crates.io
< 111.25.0
111.25.0
openssl-src
 crates.io
≥ 300.0.0
< 300.0.12
300.0.12

References

NVD — CVE-2022-4304 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-4304
psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/snwlid-... WEB
https://psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/SNWLID-2023-0003
rustsec.org/advisories/rustsec-... WEB
https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2023-0007.html
Openssl src Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202402-08
www.openssl.org/news/secadv/2023020... WEB
https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20230207.txt

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-4304?
CVE-2022-4304 is a security vulnerability in Openssl src involving openssl-src subject to Timing Oracle in RSA Decryption under CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy.
Which Openssl src versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 111.25.0, 300.0.12 across affected packages: openssl-src.
What version fixes CVE-2022-4304?
Upgrading to 111.25.0, 300.0.12 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openssl-src affected?
Yes, openssl-src is affected in releases prior to 111.25.0, 300.0.12. Upgrade your dependency to 111.25.0, 300.0.12 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-4304?
CVE-2022-4304 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2022-4304?
CVE-2022-4304 is classified under CWE-203: Observable Discrepancy (The product behaves differently or sends different responses under different circumstances in a way that is observable to an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check crates.io dependencies for CVE-2022-4304?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for openssl-src'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-p52g-cm5j-mjv4",
  "modified" : "2025-11-04T22:08:29Z",
  "published" : "2023-02-08T22:31:42Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2022-4304" ],
  "summary" : "openssl-src subject to Timing Oracle in RSA Decryption",
  "details" : "A timing based side channel exists in the OpenSSL RSA Decryption implementation which could be sufficient to recover a plaintext across a network in a Bleichenbacher style attack. To achieve a successful decryption an attacker would have to be able to send a very large number of trial messages for decryption. The vulnerability affects all RSA padding modes: PKCS#1 v1.5, RSA-OEAP and RSASVE.\n\nFor example, in a TLS connection, RSA is commonly used by a client to send an encrypted pre-master secret to the server. An attacker that had observed a genuine connection between a client and a server could use this flaw to send trial messages to the server and record the time taken to process them. After a sufficiently large number of messages the attacker could recover the pre-master secret used for the original connection and thus be able to decrypt the application data sent over that connection.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "crates.io",
      "name" : "openssl-src"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "111.25.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "crates.io",
      "name" : "openssl-src"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "300.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "300.0.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-4304"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/SNWLID-2023-0003"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2023-0007.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202402-08"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20230207.txt"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-203" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-02-08T22:31:42Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-02-08T20:15:00Z"
  }
}