diff --git a/src/file_analysis/analyzer/x509/functions.bif b/src/file_analysis/analyzer/x509/functions.bif
index 80fc3bb9af..478332aecf 100644
--- a/src/file_analysis/analyzer/x509/functions.bif
+++ b/src/file_analysis/analyzer/x509/functions.bif
@@ -695,12 +695,15 @@ function sct_verify%(cert: opaque of x509, logid: string, log_key: string, signa
 	success = EVP_DigestVerifyFinal(mdctx, (unsigned char*) signature->Bytes(), signature->Len());
 #endif
 	EVP_MD_CTX_destroy(mdctx);
+	EVP_PKEY_free(key);
 
 	return new Val(success, TYPE_BOOL);
 
 sct_verify_err:
 	if (mdctx)
 		EVP_MD_CTX_destroy(mdctx);
+	if (key)
+	EVP_PKEY_free(key);
 	cerr << errstr << endl;
 	reporter->Error("%s", errstr.c_str());
 	return new Val(0, TYPE_BOOL);