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Response snapshot Nov 7, 2026, 20:21 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-14456

Issue summary: When an OpenSSL QUIC server (Listener SSL object) processes valid QUIC Initial packets for unknown destination connection IDs, it can allocate and queue new...

Issue summary: When an OpenSSL QUIC server (Listener SSL object) processes valid QUIC Initial packets for unknown destination connection IDs, it can allocate and queue new incoming channels without enforcing any limit.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.5 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.7% in the next 30 days
Sources
2 independent sources

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-14456 (opens a new tab)

What happened

Issue summary: When an OpenSSL QUIC server (Listener SSL object) processes valid QUIC Initial packets for unknown destination connection IDs, it can allocate and queue new incoming channels without enforcing any limit.

Impact summary: A remote peer that can make many Initial packets reach the server listener faster than the application accepts connections, can cause the memory allocated to store the per-channel state to grow without any limits, potentially making the QUIC listener unavailable and causing Denial of Service.

CWE: CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling

Description: The function that handles inbound QUIC packets uses Connection-Id from the packet header to find an existing connection (QUIC channel). If no existing connection is found and the packet type is INITIAL, the function treats the packet as a new connection. It allocates a new channel object and inserts it into a queue where it waits to be accepted by the local application with SSL_accept(3ossl).

Continue reading

The memory occupied by these initial channel objects may grow without bounds if the application is not able to call SSL_accept() frequently enough to serve these inbound connection requests.

The issue is present since OpenSSL 3.5 when the QUIC server implementation was added.

The fix introduces a limit for pending connections. The default limit is set to 256 pending connections (waiting to be accepted by the local application). Applications may change the default by calling SSL_set_value_uint(3ossl).

FIPS impact: no The FIPS module is not affected as the QUIC implementation is outside of the OpenSSL FIPS module boundary.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.5

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.7%

Scored Percentile 54.5%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-14456 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    Vendor advisory (via NVD references) (opens a new tab)

    The vendor advisory referenced by the CVE record, for affected versions and fixes.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  6. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-14456, scored 2026-11-07. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, November 6). Issue summary: When an OpenSSL QUIC server (Listener SSL object) processes valid QUIC Initial packets for unknown destination connection IDs, it can allocate and queue new... (CVE-2026-14456). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-14456

MLA

"Issue summary: When an OpenSSL QUIC server (Listener SSL object) processes valid QUIC Initial packets for unknown destination connection IDs, it can allocate and queue new... (CVE-2026-14456)." KEVWire, 6 Nov. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-14456.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Issue summary: When an OpenSSL QUIC server (Listener SSL object) processes valid QUIC Initial packets for unknown destination connection IDs, it can allocate and queue new... (CVE-2026-14456)." Last modified November 6, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-14456.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Issue summary: When an OpenSSL QUIC server (Listener SSL object) processes
valid QUIC Initial packets for unknown destination connection IDs, it
can allocate and queue new... (Aug 13, 2026).
Issue summary: When an OpenSSL QUIC server (Listener SSL object) processes
valid QUIC Initial packets for unknown destination connection IDs, it
can allocate and queue new incoming channels without enforcing any limit.

Impact summary: A remote peer that can make many Initial packets reach the
server listener faster than the application accepts connections, can cause the
memory allocated to store the per-channel state to grow without any limits,
potentially making the QUIC listener unavailable and causing Denial of Service.
CVSS 7.5 (version 3.1; evidence as of Nov 6, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-14456).
EPSS 0.7% for the following 30 days, scored Nov 7, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-14456&date=2026-11-07).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-14456: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-14456
Vendor advisory (via NVD references): https://openssl-library.org/news/secadv/20260813.txt
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-06T20:00:58.134Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-06T21:30:59.793Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-06T19:30:59.884Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-06T21:00:55.795Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-06T19:00:57.989Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-06T20:30:57.746Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-14456&date=2026-11-07
Record ID: CVE-2026-14456.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Nov 7, 2026, 20:21 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Analyzed. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

Record JSON

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Record details

Record detail