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The pandemic of incomplete OpenSSL error handling

Developers frequently ignore or mishandle OpenSSL function return values, causing incomplete error handling that can lead to security vulnerabilities and silent data corruption across many codebases.

Background

- OpenSSL is the foundational cryptography library that powers TLS/SSL encryption for nearly all web servers, email servers, and VPNs. Its functions return error codes that, if not checked correctly, silently leave connections in a broken but seemingly-OK state. - The article argues that incomplete error handling in OpenSSL-using software is a "pandemic" — it affects major projects (Apache, Nginx, Postfix, systemd, curl, OpenSSH) for years despite being well known, because the library's API design and documentation actively encourage developers to skip checks. - OpenSSL 3.2 (2023) fixed some surface issues but left deeper API problems untouched. The piece helps non-coders understand why even heavily-audited infrastructure software can harbor subtle bugs that aren't obvious to fix without breaking backward compatibility.

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