CVE-2025-66038 Details
Description
OpenSC is an open source smart card tools and middleware. Prior to version 0.27.0, sc_compacttlv_find_tag searches a compact-TLV buffer for a given tag. In compact-TLV, a single byte encodes the tag (high nibble) and value length (low nibble). With a 1-byte buffer {0x0A}, the encoded element claims tag=0 and length=10 but no value bytes follow. Calling sc_compacttlv_find_tag with search tag 0x00 returns a pointer equal to buf+1 and outlen=10 without verifying that the claimed value length fits within the remaining buffer. In cases where the sc_compacttlv_find_tag is provided untrusted data (such as being read from cards/files), attackers may be able to influence it to return out-of-bounds pointers leading to downstream memory corruption when subsequent code tries to dereference the pointer. This issue has been patched in version 0.27.0.
A vulnerability exists in OpenSC versions prior to 0.27.0 within the `sc_compacttlv_find_tag` function, part of the libopensc library. This function improperly validates the length of values in a compact-TLV buffer, allowing for out-of-bounds pointer returns when untrusted data is processed. Such behavior can lead to memory corruption if the dereferenced pointer is accessed, potentially causing crashes or unexpected application behavior. The issue can be exploited by crafting a malicious Answer to Reset (ATR) that includes invalid Compact-TLV encoding, which is then read by the OpenSC tools or through the PKCS#11 module.
Users should update OpenSC to version 0.27.0 or later, where this vulnerability has been patched.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
No CVSS 4.0 data is available for this CVE.
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
CISA-ADP
Assessed Apr 1, 2026References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-126 | Buffer Over-read | [email protected] |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| opensc project opensc | < 0.27.0 |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
4 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | [email protected] |
| Jun 17, 2026 | CVE Modified | CISA-ADP |
| Apr 1, 2026 | Initial Analysis | [email protected] |
| Mar 30, 2026 | New CVE Received | [email protected] |