PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief
CVE-2026-78124 strongSwan CVE debrief
A vulnerability in strongSwan 5.0.2 through 6.0.7 allows for PKCS#7 certificate enumeration in the openssl plugin, leading to a lack of release of memory after its effective lifetime. This issue has a CVSS score of 3.7 and is considered low severity. The vulnerability can lead to memory leaks, and defenders should prioritize verifying affected versions and assessing exposure. The openssl plugin is used in strongSwan, and the vulnerability is caused by a lack of proper memory management. The CVE record and NVD entry provide information on the vulnerability, but details on exploitation and impact are limited.
- Vendor
- strongSwan
- Product
- Unknown
- CVSS
- LOW 3.7
- CISA KEV
- Not listed in stored evidence
- Original CVE published
- 2026-09-11
- Original CVE updated
- 2026-09-11
- Advisory published
- 2026-09-11
- Advisory updated
- 2026-09-11
Who should care
Defenders responsible for strongSwan installations, particularly those using the openssl plugin, should assess exposure and verify affected versions.
Why it matters
Defenders should prioritize verifying affected versions and assessing exposure to the strongSwan PKCS#7 certificate enumeration vulnerability, as it may lead to memory leaks.
- Memory leaks may occur due to lack of memory release
- Verification of affected versions is necessary to assess exposure
Technical summary
The vulnerability in strongSwan 5.0.2 through 6.0.7 allows for PKCS#7 certificate enumeration in the openssl plugin, leading to a lack of release of memory after its effective lifetime. This can lead to memory leaks, and defenders should prioritize verifying affected versions and assessing exposure. The vulnerability is caused by a lack of proper memory management in the openssl plugin.
Defensive priority
Defenders should prioritize verifying affected versions and assessing exposure, as the vulnerability may lead to memory leaks.
Recommended defensive actions
- Verify affected versions of strongSwan and assess exposure
- Review and update openssl plugin configurations
- Monitor for potential memory leaks
Evidence notes
The CVE record and NVD entry provide information on the vulnerability, but details on exploitation and impact are limited. The vulnerability affects strongSwan 5.0.2 through 6.0.7 and is caused by a lack of proper memory management in the openssl plugin. Defenders should verify affected versions and assess exposure to the vulnerability. The vulnerability can lead to memory leaks, and defenders should prioritize verifying affected versions and assessing exposure.
Sources and references
Verified primary and authoritative sources
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CVE-2026-78124 CVE Program record
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-78124
CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.
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CVE-2026-78124 NVD vulnerability detail
Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified
URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-78124
NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.
Supplemental references
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Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://github.com/strongswan/strongswan/releases/tag/6.1.0
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Source reference
Unverified legacy reference
URL: https://www.strongswan.org/blog/2026/09/07/strongswan-vulnerability-(cve-2026-78124).html
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.