How to Fix CVE-2026-5460: wolfSSL (Bundle Sibling)

*By Sai Kiran Pandrala*

Last verified: 2026-05-25

CVE-2026-5460 is a sibling vulnerability in the same Wolfssl wolfSSL advisory bundle as CVE-2026-5446. The same patched build closes every CVE in the bundle, so the remediation procedure for CVE-2026-5460 matches the primary write-up.

What is different about CVE-2026-5460?

A heap use-after-free exists in wolfSSL's TLS 1.3 post-quantum cryptography (PQC) hybrid KeyShare processing. In the error handling path of TLSX_KeyShare_ProcessPqcHybridClient() in src/tls.c, the inner function TLSX_KeyShare_ProcessPqcClient_ex() frees a KyberKey object upon encountering an error. The caller then invokes TLSX_KeyShare_FreeAll(), which attempts to call ForceZero() on the already-freed KyberKey, resulting in writes of zero bytes over freed heap memory.

Impact is consistent with the bundle: use-after-free that can lead to heap corruption and code execution. The patched build closes every code path in the advisory in one update.

How to fix CVE-2026-5460

Apply the patched build per the primary write-up: How to Fix CVE-2026-5446.

For a quick check, confirm the running version of wolfSSL:

grep LIBWOLFSSL_VERSION_STRING /usr/local/include/wolfssl/version.h

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2026-5460 being actively exploited?

Not at the time of writing. It is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. That status can change, so monitor the vendor advisory and the KEV catalog if the system is exposed.

How severe is CVE-2026-5460?

CVSS rates it 6.3 (Medium). Use that score to set your patch priority alongside the other items in your queue.

Do I have to take wolfSSL offline to apply the patch?

It depends on the deployment. High-availability or clustered installs can usually patch one node at a time with no full outage. Standalone installs typically need a short restart. Always follow the vendor's documented upgrade steps.

What if my vulnerability scanner still flags CVE-2026-5460 after I patch?

Re-run the scan after a service restart, then confirm the scanner's plugin set is up to date. Some scanners detect by banner version only and lag the official fix metadata by a release.

References

• Official vendor advisory: https://github.com/wolfssl/wolfssl/pull/10092
• NVD entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5460
• CISA KEV catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
• Primary write-up: How to Fix CVE-2026-5446

*Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala. Last verified 2026-05-25. Part of the Wolfssl wolfSSL advisory bundle. Full procedure at how-to-fix-cve-2026-5446.*