CVE-2026-15442: wolfssl Use-After-Free (CVSS 5.3)

Description

In all builds that make use of (D)TLS, including default builds, there is a series of conditional states during the TLS shutdown which could lead to a heap-use-after free. If an application ended up getting a partial wolfSSL_read() which is sometimes caused by a small user buffer passed in, then called wolfSSL_shutdown for a bidirectional close and attempted to wolfSSL_read() again while the peer continues trying to send data during the shutdown it would lead to a state where a potential heap-use-after free happened.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.3

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0021

Probability of exploitation

0.11%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-416 Use After Free

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
wolfssl	wolfssl	4.4.0 — 5.9.2

References

Other References

https://github.com/wolfSSL/wolfssl/pull/10863

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-15442? +

In all builds that make use of (D)TLS, including default builds, there is a series of conditional states during the TLS shutdown which could lead to a heap-use-after free. If an application ended up getting a partial wolfSSL_read() which is sometimes caused by a small user buffer passed in, then called wolfSSL_shutdown for a bidirectional close and attempted to wolfSSL_read() again while the peer continues trying to send data during the shutdown it would lead to a state where a potential heap-use-after free happened. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-15442? +

CVE-2026-15442 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.3 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0021, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-15442? +

CVE-2026-15442 affects products from wolfssl, specifically: wolfssl. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-15442? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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