CVE-2006-3738: OpenSSL SSL_get_shared_ciphers buffer overflow via long cipher list

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 20 September 2026. Confidence: medium.

critical priorityCVSS 2.0 score of 10 with remote, unauthenticated, low-complexity attack and complete impact, combined with high EPSS probability, warrants immediate remediation.

What it is

OpenSSL versions before 0.9.7l and 0.9.8d contain a buffer overflow in the SSL_get_shared_ciphers function, triggered by a long list of ciphers. The flaw has unspecified impact and remote attack vectors, but a successful overflow could allow code execution or denial of service in processes using the affected OpenSSL library.

Impact

An attacker could potentially execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service in applications that call SSL_get_shared_ciphers with attacker-influenced cipher lists. The exact impact is not specified in the record, but the CVSS vector indicates complete loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Attack surface

The vulnerability is remotely reachable over the network (AV:N) with no authentication required (Au:N) and low attack complexity (AC:L). Exploitation requires the ability to influence the cipher list passed to SSL_get_shared_ciphers, which may occur during SSL/TLS handshake processing in affected applications.

Exploitation

The CVE is not listed in CISA KEV, but EPSS indicates a 30-day exploitation probability of 0.49273 (98.8th percentile), suggesting a high likelihood of exploitation activity. No public exploit references are tagged in the provided data.

What to do

• Upgrade OpenSSL to version 0.9.7l, 0.9.8d, or later as specified in vendor advisories.
• Apply patches from operating system or software vendors that bundle OpenSSL (e.g., Apple, HP, NetBSD, OpenBSD, SGI).
• If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to services using affected OpenSSL versions and monitor for anomalous TLS handshake traffic.
• Review applications that call SSL_get_shared_ciphers and validate or limit the size of cipher lists accepted from untrusted sources.
• Monitor vendor advisories for updated patches and reapply as necessary.

Detection

• Monitor network traffic for unusually long or malformed cipher lists during TLS handshakes that could trigger the overflow.
• Check application and system logs for crashes or abnormal termination in processes linked to OpenSSL, especially during SSL/TLS negotiation.
• Use vulnerability scanning tools to identify hosts running OpenSSL versions prior to 0.9.7l or 0.9.8d.
• Deploy intrusion detection signatures that flag attempts to exploit known OpenSSL buffer overflows in SSL_get_shared_ciphers.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.