CVE-2026-15442
Received Received - Intake

Heap-Use-After-Free in wolfSSL TLS Shutdown

Publication date: 2026-09-27

Last updated on: 2026-09-27

Assigner: wolfSSL Inc.

Description
In all builds that make use of (D)TLS, including default builds, there is a series of conditional states during the TLS shutdown which could lead to a heap-use-after free. If an application ended up getting a partial wolfSSL_read() which is sometimes caused by a small user buffer passed in, then called wolfSSL_shutdown for a bidirectional close and attempted to wolfSSL_read() again while the peer continues trying to send data during the shutdown it would lead to a state where a potential heap-use-after free happened.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published
2026-09-27
Last Modified
2026-09-27
Generated
2026-09-27
AI Q&A
2026-09-27
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-15442
EUVD
EUVD-2026-87924

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
wolfssl wolfssl to 2026-07-08 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-416 The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

AI Quick Actions

Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a heap-use-after-free issue in wolfSSL's TLS implementation. It occurs during TLS shutdown when an application performs a partial read, calls wolfSSL_shutdown for a bidirectional close, and then attempts another read while the peer continues sending data. This sequence can lead to a state where a heap-use-after-free happens due to improper handling of buffered data during shutdown.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by checking if your wolfSSL version is affected and monitoring for heap-use-after-free errors during TLS shutdown sequences. Review logs for crashes or memory corruption during bidirectional TLS shutdowns, especially when partial reads occur. Ensure your wolfSSL version includes the fix from pull request #10863.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code if they can trigger the specific sequence of events involving partial reads, shutdown, and continued data transmission. It primarily affects applications using wolfSSL for TLS/DTLS connections.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could potentially impact compliance with GDPR and HIPAA by exposing sensitive data during TLS shutdown sequences. A heap-use-after-free condition may lead to memory corruption, which could result in unauthorized access to or leakage of encrypted data. Such incidents may violate confidentiality requirements under these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Update wolfSSL to the latest version that includes the fix for the heap-use-after-free vulnerability in TLS shutdown sequences. The fix prevents processing incoming records during shutdown when buffered application data is pending.

Chat Assistant

Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-15442. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70

EPSS Chart