CVE-2023-50781 Redhat CVE debrief

Who should care

Security teams and administrators running TLS services that depend on m2crypto, especially internet-facing systems and environments handling confidential data. The NVD metadata also lists Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and 9 and Red Hat Update Infrastructure 4 as affected CPEs, so downstream package consumers should verify their exposure.

Technical summary

The NVD record describes a flaw in m2crypto that can let a remote attacker decrypt captured messages in TLS servers using RSA key exchanges. The recorded CVSS v3.1 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, indicating a network-reachable issue with confidentiality impact only. NVD lists the weakness as CWE-203 and includes affected CPEs for m2crypto_project:m2crypto, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8/9, and Red Hat Update Infrastructure 4.

Defensive priority

High: prioritize any exposed TLS service that uses m2crypto, especially if RSA key exchange is still enabled or cannot be quickly retired.

Recommended defensive actions

• Inventory applications and appliances that bundle or depend on m2crypto, then map them to any TLS endpoints exposed to untrusted networks.
• Check whether affected TLS servers use RSA key exchanges and plan to reduce or remove that exposure where supported by the application and platform.
• Apply vendor and downstream package updates tied to CVE-2023-50781 as soon as they are available in your environment.
• Review whether sensitive traffic protected by impacted TLS services could be exposed if captured, and adjust risk handling accordingly.
• Track the linked Red Hat advisory and issue tracker for remediation status and deployment guidance before and after patching.

Evidence notes

The CVE record was published on 2024-02-05 and later modified on 2026-05-12. NVD states that the flaw is in m2crypto and may allow a remote attacker to decrypt captured messages in TLS servers using RSA key exchanges. NVD also records CVSS 3.1 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, weakness CWE-203, and affected CPEs for m2crypto_project:m2crypto, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8/9, and Red Hat Update Infrastructure 4. The NVD metadata references a Red Hat security advisory, Red Hat Bugzilla issue 2254426, and a Siemens product certification notice; this debrief relies only on the supplied metadata and reference listings.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.