dbcve.org
OpenSSLFramework / library

CVE-2003-0147

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2003-03-31
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
OpenSSL does not use RSA blinding by default, which allows local and remote attackers to obtain the server's private key by determining factors using timing differences on (1) the number of extra reductions during Montgomery reduction, and (2) the use of different integer multiplication algorithms ("Karatsuba" and normal).

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

OpenSSL versions prior to the fix did not use RSA blinding by default during RSA operations, allowing attackers to exploit timing side-channels. The vulnerability leveraged timing differences from (1) extra reductions during Montgomery reduction and (2) different integer multiplication algorithms (Karatsuba vs normal) to potentially recover the server's private key through statistical analysis of multiple encryption/decryption operations.

MitigationEnable RSA blinding in OpenSSL or update to a patched version that enables RSA blinding by default. For legacy systems, recompile OpenSSL with RSA blinding enabled or apply available patches.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OpenSSLFramework / library
Affected:= 0.9.6= 0.9.6a= 0.9.6b= 0.9.6c= 0.9.6d= 0.9.6e= 0.9.6g= 0.9.6h= 0.9.6i= 0.9.7= 0.9.7a
OpenpkgApplication
Affected:all versions= 1.1= 1.2
StunnelApplication
Affected:= 3.7= 3.8= 3.9= 3.10= 3.11= 3.12= 3.13= 3.14= 3.15= 3.16= 3.17= 3.18

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify OpenSSL version
    Run 'openssl version' or check the openssl package version with your system's package manager (dpkg -l openssl, rpm -q openssl, etc.)
    Affected if The version is 0.9.6, 0.9.6a, 0.9.6b, 0.9.6c, 0.9.6d, 0.9.6e, 0.9.6g, 0.9.6h, 0.9.6i, 0.9.7, or 0.9.7a (any 0.9.6.x or 0.9.7/0.9.7a build) and RSA operations are performed
  2. Identify Stunnel version
    Run 'stunnel -version' or check the stunnel package version with your system's package manager
    Affected if The version is 3.7 through 3.18 inclusive and the stunnel service uses RSA certificates
  3. Identify Openpkg version
    Run 'openpkg version' or check the openpkg package version
    Affected if Openpkg version 1.1, 1.2, or any version with bundled OpenSSL and RSA operations are performed
  4. Confirm RSA operations are in use
    Review configuration files or application logs for SSL/TLS services using RSA key exchange or RSA certificates. Check if any service performs RSA decryption operations.
    Affected if The system performs RSA encryption/decryption operations (such as SSL/TLS handshakes with RSA key exchange) using a vulnerable OpenSSL version
  5. Check if RSA blinding is enabled at runtime
    For applications using OpenSSL, verify RSA_blinding_on() has been called or check application code for RSA flags. For stunnel, examine stunnel.conf for RSA-related settings or review if the underlying OpenSSL has blinding enabled by default.
    Affected if RSA blinding is not enabled in the application or library configuration and the OpenSSL version is in the affected list

A system is affected if it runs OpenSSL 0.9.6 through 0.9.7a, Openpkg 1.1-1.2 (any version), or Stunnel 3.7-3.18, performs RSA operations, and does not have RSA blinding explicitly enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Enable RSA blinding in OpenSSL or update to a patched version that enables RSA blinding by default. For legacy systems, recompile OpenSSL with RSA blinding enabled or apply available patches.

Fix this in OpenSSL Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2003-0147 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data