CVE-2026-93599 — rustls-webpki before 0.103.13 Panic via empty BIT STRING
rustls-webpki through 0.103.12 (and 0.104.0-alpha releases before 0.104.0-alpha.7) contains a reachable panic in bit_string_flags() in src/der.rs. The input guard fails to reject a named-bit BIT STRING whose content is exactly [0x00] (zero padding bits and no data bytes), so raw_bits.len() - 1 underflows on the empty slice and the subsequent index operation panics (subtract-with-overflow in debug, index-out-of-bounds in release). The condition is reachable through the public API BorrowedCertRevocationList::from_der() when a CRL contains an issuingDistributionPoint extension with such an onlySomeReasons value. Exploitation requires an application that explicitly opts in to CRL revocation checking by passing RevocationOptions to verify_for_usage() and that parses CRL bytes obtained from a source the attacker can influence; the default rustls configuration, which does not use RevocationOptions, is unaffected. A crafted CRL causes a denial of service via the panic. Fixed in 0.103.13 and 0.104.0-alpha.7.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+4
- Technical severity (high)+6
- CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Rustls Webpki).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.7 | CVSS 4.0 | High | — | — | disclosure@vulncheck.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.7 | CVSS 4.0 | High | — | — | VulnCheck via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | disclosure@vulncheck.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | VulnCheck via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: disclosure@vulncheck.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · rustls/webpki
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Awaiting Analysis
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
2 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Low CVE-2026-93600 rustls webpki Name Constraints URI Validation Bypass 28d
- Low CVE-2026-93601 rustls webpki 0.101.0 before 0.103.12 Name Constraint Bypass 28d
- Medium CVE-2026-93602 rustls-webpki before 0.103.10 CRL Revocation Check Bypass 28d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-93599 is "rustls-webpki before 0.103.13 Panic via empty BIT STRING", rated High. It affects Webpki (Rustls); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.35% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.