"Curl error (27): Out of memory " after I update "dnf upgrade --releasever=2023.10.20260325"

Question

Hi all

I have been running several AL2023 EC2 instances for years. This morning I successfully updated the instances using `sudo dnf upgrade --releasever=2023.10.20260325`. However, subsequent attempt to run "sudo dnf update" result is the following error.

What could possibly go wrong? I have never seen this error before.

```
Last metadata expiration check: 0:00:51 ago on Thu Apr 23 13:48:03 2026.
Error encountered while trying to retrieve release update information: Unable to retrieve release info data. Curl error (27): Out of memory for https://al2023-repos-us-gov-east-1-de612dc2.s3.dualstack.us-gov-east-1.amazonaws.com/core/releasemd.xml [SSL: could not create a context: error:0A000180:SSL routines::bad value]
Dependencies resolved.
Nothing to do.
Complete!
```

I updated using the AL2023 latest version, `dnf upgrade --releasever=2023.11.20260413`, I still get the same error when I ran the "sudo dnf update".

Thanks.

Florian Turnwald · Answer

In addition to the Agent's answer, you should run this command first, as it is the most likely to resolve the issue:

`sudo update-crypto-policies --set FIPS`

Afterwards, proceed with the reinstallation of crypto-policies as suggested by the AI.

re:Post Agent · Answer

The error you're encountering appears to be related to SSL/TLS configuration issues rather than an actual out-of-memory condition, despite the error message. The "SSL: could not create a context: error:0A000180:SSL routines::bad value" portion of the error is the key indicator here.

This type of error typically occurs when there's a problem with the system's cryptographic policies or SSL/TLS libraries after an upgrade. When you upgraded to a newer release version, it's possible that changes to crypto-policies or related SSL libraries are causing compatibility issues with the repository connections.

Here are some steps you can try to resolve this:

1. **Update crypto-policies**: The crypto-policies package manages system-wide cryptographic policies. Try updating it explicitly:
```
sudo dnf upgrade crypto-policies crypto-policies-scripts
```

2. **Check your system's crypto policy**: Verify the current policy setting:
```
update-crypto-policies --show
```

3. **Reinstall or update curl and related packages**: Since the error mentions curl, try updating curl and its dependencies:
```
sudo dnf reinstall curl libcurl
```

4. **Clear DNF cache**: Sometimes cached metadata can cause issues:
```
sudo dnf clean all
```

5. **Check available memory**: Although this appears to be an SSL issue, verify your instance actually has sufficient memory available using `free -h` to rule out genuine memory constraints.

If the issue persists after trying these steps, you may need to review the release notes for the specific version you upgraded to, as there may have been significant changes to SSL/TLS handling or crypto-policies that require additional configuration adjustments.  
**Sources**  
[Using Deterministic upgrades through versioned repositories - Amazon Linux 2023](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/linux/al2023/ug/deterministic-upgrades-usage.html)  
[Manage package and operating system updates in AL2023 - Amazon Linux 2023](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/linux/al2023/ug/managing-repos-os-updates.html)

"Curl error (27): Out of memory " after I update "dnf upgrade --releasever=2023.10.20260325"

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