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HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy · Ibm

CVE-2023-32342

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.5.5.24 / 9.0.5.16 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
IBM GSKit could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by a timing-based side channel in the RSA Decryption implementation. By sending an overly large number of trial messages for decryption, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information. IBM X-Force ID: 255828.

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

IBM GSKit contains a timing-based side-channel vulnerability in its RSA Decryption implementation. An attacker can exploit this by sending a large number of trial decryption messages and analyzing timing differences to extract sensitive information such as RSA private keys or plaintext data.

MitigationApply IBM's provided patches for GSKit to implement constant-time RSA decryption or RSA blinding. Alternatively, upgrade to a patched version of GSKit that addresses the timing side channel.

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
HTTP ServerWeb server / proxy
Affected:>= 8.5.0.0, < 8.5.5.24>= 9.0.0.0, < 9.0.5.16

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 if IBM HTTP Server is installed
    Locate the IBM HTTP Server installation directory - common paths include /opt/IBM/HTTPServer/ on Linux/Unix or C:\Program Files\IBM\HTTPServer\ on Windows. Check for the presence of the httpd or apachectl binary in the bin subdirectory.
    Affected if IBM HTTP Server is not present on the system.
  2. Determine the installed IBM HTTP Server version
    Run the version command from the IBM HTTP Server bin directory: ./httpd -v or ./apachectl -v on Linux/Unix, or httpd.exe -v on Windows. Alternatively, check the version file in the installation directory.
    Affected if The installed version cannot be determined or the installation is not IBM HTTP Server.
  3. Compare the installed version against affected ranges
    Review the version output from the previous step. Affected versions are: 8.5.0.0 through 8.5.5.23, and 9.0.0.0 through 9.0.5.15.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 8.5.0.0 to 8.5.5.23 OR 9.0.0.0 to 9.0.5.15.
  4. Confirm GSKit is in use for SSL/TLS operations
    Examine the IBM HTTP Server configuration files (httpd.conf or ssl.conf) for SSL/TLS configuration. GSKit is used when SSL is enabled with IBM HTTP Server. Look for directives like SSLEnable, Listen on HTTPS ports, and SSLCertificate directives.
    Affected if SSL/TLS is not configured or GSKit is not being utilized for cryptographic operations.

The environment is affected if IBM HTTP Server is installed with a version between 8.5.0.0-8.5.5.23 or 9.0.0.0-9.0.5.15 and GSKit is handling RSA decryption for SSL/TLS connections.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.5.5.24 / 9.0.5.16 or later
Fixed in 8.5.5.249.0.5.16
Interim mitigation

Apply IBM's provided patches for GSKit to implement constant-time RSA decryption or RSA blinding. Alternatively, upgrade to a patched version of GSKit that addresses the timing side channel.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM HTTP Server 8.5.5.24 or 9.0.5.16 (or later respective releases)

  1. 1. Identify the current IBM HTTP Server version by running: gsk8capicmd_64 -version or checking the installation directory
  2. 2. For IBM HTTP Server 8.5.x: Plan upgrade to version 8.5.5.24 or later
  3. 3. For IBM HTTP Server 9.0.x: Plan upgrade to version 9.0.5.16 or later
  4. 4. Download the appropriate IBM HTTP Server fix pack from IBM Fix Central (https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/)
  5. 5. Stop the IBM HTTP Server instance before applying the update
  6. 6. Apply the fix pack following IBM's installation instructions for your platform
  7. 7. Verify the new version after installation: gsk8capicmd_64 -version
  8. 8. Start the IBM HTTP Server and verify normal operation
Caveat Point release upgrades typically maintain backward compatibility; review IBM HTTP Server release notes for any behavioral changes between your current version and the target fix pack

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in HTTP Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,580
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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-2023-32342 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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