CVE-2014-8151
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 · uneditedThe darwinssl_connect_step1 function in lib/vtls/curl_darwinssl.c in libcurl 7.31.0 through 7.39.0, when using the DarwinSSL (aka SecureTransport) back-end for TLS, does not check if a cached TLS session validated the certificate when reusing the session, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers via a crafted certificate.
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 confidenceIn libcurl 7.31.0-7.39.0 using the DarwinSSL (SecureTransport) backend, the darwinssl_connect_step1 function fails to re-validate server certificates when reusing a cached TLS session. An attacker who performed a MITM attack during initial session establishment could inject a malicious certificate, which would then be trusted unconditionally when that session is resumed later.
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<= 10.10.4= 7.31.0= 7.32.0= 7.33.0= 7.34.0= 7.35.0= 7.36.0= 7.37.0= 7.37.1= 7.38.0= 7.39CVSS 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
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed libcurl versionRun `curl --version` to see the compiled-in libcurl version numberAffected if Version is 7.31.0, 7.32.0, 7.33.0, 7.34.0, 7.35.0, 7.36.0, 7.37.0, 7.37.1, 7.38.0, or 7.39.0
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Identify the SSL backendRun `curl --version` and look for 'SecureTransport' or 'DarwinSSL' in the SSL optionsAffected if The SSL backend is DarwinSSL or SecureTransport on macOS
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Check TLS session resumption configurationInspect application or service configuration that uses libcurl to determine if CURLSSLOPT_NO_REUSE (or equivalent session reuse) is disabled or if default session resumption behavior is in useAffected if TLS session resumption is enabled, which is the default behavior in affected versions
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Verify macOS versionRun `sw_vers` or check System Preferences to determine the macOS versionAffected if Running macOS 10.10.4 or earlier and using libcurl with DarwinSSL backend
You are affected if you run libcurl versions 7.31.0-7.39.0 with the DarwinSSL/SecureTransport backend on macOS with TLS session resumption enabled (the default), as certificates are not re-validated when a cached TLS session is resumed.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade libcurl to version 7.40.0 or later, which includes the fix for proper certificate validation during session resumption. If upgrade is not immediately feasible, consider disabling TLS session resumption in affected deployments.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-8151 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-8151 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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