Easy RsaApplication · Openvpn
CVE-2024-13454
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 · uneditedWeak encryption algorithm in Easy-RSA version 3.0.5 through 3.1.7 allows a local attacker to more easily bruteforce the private CA key when created using OpenSSL 3
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 confidenceEasy-RSA versions 3.0.5 through 3.1.7 use weak encryption algorithms when generating private CA keys with OpenSSL 3, allowing a local attacker to bruteforce the key more easily than with modern encryption standards.
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
Easy RsaApplication
>= 3.0.5, <= 3.1.7CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
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 Easy-RSA versionRun 'easy-rsa --version' or check the version file in the Easy-RSA installation directoryAffected if Version is 3.0.5 through 3.1.7 inclusive
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Locate CA private key fileLook for the CA private key file, commonly named 'ca.key' or found under the 'keys/' or 'pki/' directory within your Easy-RSA directory structureAffected if A CA private key file exists and was generated by a vulnerable Easy-RSA version
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Inspect encryption algorithm on CA private keyRun 'openssl rsa -in <path-to-ca.key> -text -noout | grep -i encryption' or view the PEM header of the key file (second line shows 'DEK-Info' with the cipher and IV used)Affected if The key shows weak encryption such as DES, DES3, or AES-128, or lacks encryption entirely (indicating it was generated with default weak settings on OpenSSL 3)
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Verify OpenSSL configuration for key generation defaultsCheck /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf or the openssl config file for 'default_keyfile' or 'encrypt_key' settings, and review Easy-RSA vars file for 'EASYRSA_CA_EXPIRE' and cipher settingsAffected if Configuration shows default cipher settings that produce weak encrypted keys (such as not explicitly setting AES-256)
A user is affected if Easy-RSA version 3.0.5-3.1.7 was used to generate CA keys and those keys are encrypted with weak algorithms like DES, DES3, or AES-128 rather than AES-256 or stronger.
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.
dbcve · scopedRegenerate CA private keys using strong encryption (AES-256 or stronger) and upgrade to a patched version of Easy-RSA when available. Ensure OpenSSL 3 is configured to use secure cipher suites.
Easy-RSA 3.1.8 or later (any release above 3.1.7)
- 1. Identify the current Easy-RSA version by running `easyrsa --version` or checking the installed package
- 2. Ensure OpenSSL 3.x is installed on the system by running `openssl version`
- 3. If using Easy-RSA version 3.0.5 through 3.1.7, plan for an upgrade to a fixed release
- 4. Before upgrading, backup the existing Easy-RSA directory and any existing PKI data
- 5. Download the latest Easy-RSA release from the official GitHub repository (github.com/OpenVPN/easy-rsa)
- 6. Install the new version following the installation instructions in the README
- 7. After upgrade, regenerate any CA keys that were created with the vulnerable versions using OpenSSL 3
- 8. Ensure new CA keys use strong encryption (minimum 2048-bit RSA, preferably 4096-bit, or use ECC)
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Easy Rsa
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-13454 — 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-2024-13454 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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- 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
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