CVE-2005-2969

CVE-2005-2969 describes a vulnerability in OpenSSL versions 0.9.7 prior to 0.9.7h and 0.9.8 prior to 0.9.8a. When the SSL_OP_MSIE_SSLV2_RSA_PADDING option is enabled, the server implementation disables a critical verification step, making it susceptible to protocol version rollback attacks. This allows a remote attacker, via a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, to force clients and servers to negotiate a weaker, less secure protocol. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.0, indicating a medium severity. It is easily exploitable over the network with low attack complexity and requires no authentication, leading to a potential impact of partial integrity compromise. There is no evidence of active exploitation, and no public exploit code (Metasploit, Nuclei, ExploitDB) is available. Community discussion and media coverage for this CVE are minimal, suggesting low public attention.