CVE-2014-0160
CVE-2014-0160 is a security flaw in OpenSSL. Attackers can read information from OpenSSL that should be private. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 4 May 2022.[1]
OpenSSL is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. OpenSSL has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an information disclosure in OpenSSL OpenSSL. In its words: “The TLS and DTLS implementations in OpenSSL do not properly handle Heartbeat Extension packets, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “The (1) TLS and (2) DTLS implementations in OpenSSL 1.0.1 before 1.0.1g do not properly handle Heartbeat Extension packets, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information from process memory via crafted packets that trigger a buffer over-read, as demonstrated by reading private keys, related to d1_both.c and t1_lib.c, aka the Heartbleed bug.”[2]
The underlying weakness is out-of-bounds read (CWE-125), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 7.5 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; OpenSSL’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as OpenSSL OpenSSL.
Most families won’t have OpenSSL; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 4 May 2022, 2,949 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 25 May 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at over 99%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
OpenSSL has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.OpenSSL is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 25 May 2022 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.5.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at over 99%.[4] |
See also
Other out-of-bounds read flaws
- CVE-2023-36424, Microsoft Windows: out-of-bounds read ·
- CVE-2026-3055, Citrix NetScaler: out-of-bounds read ·
- CVE-2025-5777, Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway: out-of-bounds read ·
- CVE-2025-5419, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: out-of-bounds read and write ·
- CVE-2024-53150, Linux Kernel: out-of-bounds read ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2021-1789, Apple devices: type confusion ·
- CVE-2019-8506, Apple devices: type confusion ·
- CVE-2014-4113, Microsoft Win32k: privilege escalation ·
- CVE-2014-0322, Microsoft Internet Explorer: use-after-free ·
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “OpenSSL Information Disclosure Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 4 May 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2014-0160 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 7 Apr 2014.
- ^ OpenSSL. Advisories and fixes: filezilla-project.org, lists.apache.org, lists.apache.org, lists.apache.org, lists.apache.org.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 1.000, percentile 100.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2014-0160”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.