CVE-2022-43551
curl: HSTS bypass via IDN
Severity
ModerateRed Hat Product Security
CVSS 3.1
Review impact separately from score.
Published · December 21, 2022
Updated · October 15, 2026
Description
A vulnerability was found in curl. The issue can occur when curl's HSTS check is bypassed to trick it to keep using HTTP. Using its HSTS support, curl can be instructed to use HTTPS instead of an insecure clear-text HTTP step even when providing HTTP in the URL. Suppose the hostname in the given URL first uses IDN characters that get replaced with ASCII counterparts as part of the IDN conversion. In that case, it can bypass the HSTS mechanism using the character UTF-8 U+3002 (IDEOGRAPHIC FULL STOP) instead of the common ASCII full stop (U+002E). Then in a subsequent request, it does not detect the HSTS state and makes a clear text transfer. Because it would store the information, IDN encoded but looked for it as IDN decoded.
CVSS score applicability
The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.
Mitigation
No mitigation is specified in collected source.
CVSS / CWE
CVSS 3.1 · 7.5CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CWE-319 · Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information