# CVE-2023-40660: Opensc: potential pin bypass when card tracks its own login state

Status: published. Published: 2023-11-06. Updated: 2026-11-06.

A flaw was found in OpenSC packages that allow a potential PIN bypass. When a token/card is authenticated by one process, it can perform cryptographic operations in other processes when an empty zero-length pin is passed. This issue poses a security risk, particularly for OS logon/screen unlock and for small, permanently connected tokens to computers. Additionally, the token can internally track login status. This flaw allows an attacker to gain unauthorized access, carry out malicious actions, or compromise the system without the user's awareness.

## Remediation

No remediation reported in collected sources

## Affected products and versions

-  /  (OpenSC): ≥ 0.17.0; < 0.24.0 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (opensc): ≥ 0:0.20.0-7.el8_9; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (opensc): ≥ 0:0.23.0-3.el9_3; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (opensc): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 6.6 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 1.04% as of 2026-11-06; percentile 64.11%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-287

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7876 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7879 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-40660 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2240912 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://github.com/OpenSC/OpenSC/issues/2792#issuecomment-1674806651 (CNA: redhat)

- https://github.com/OpenSC/OpenSC/releases/tag/0.24.0-rc1 (CNA: redhat)

- https://github.com/OpenSC/OpenSC/wiki/OpenSC-security-advisories (CNA: redhat)

- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/12/13/2 (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7876 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7879 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-40660 (ADP: CVE; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2240912 (ADP: CVE; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://github.com/OpenSC/OpenSC/issues/2792#issuecomment-1674806651 (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://github.com/OpenSC/OpenSC/releases/tag/0.24.0-rc1 (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://github.com/OpenSC/OpenSC/wiki/OpenSC-security-advisories (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/11/msg00024.html (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3CPQOMCDWFRBMEFR5VK4N5MMXXU42ODE/ (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GLYEFIBBA37TK3UNMZN5NOJ7IWCIXLQP/ (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/12/msg00026.html (ADP: CVE)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-40660; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated 2026-11-06

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2023-40660; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated Not reported

Revision: e983e14ebf143edc2dda024a69432fdd51f5577f58af06a7d16e46e32d1d1d6e

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2023-40660

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