CVE-2026-33308
mod_gnutls missing key purpose check in client certificate verification
Mod_gnutls is a TLS module for Apache HTTPD based on GnuTLS. Prior to version 0.13.0, code for client certificate verification did not check the key purpose as set in the Extended Key Usage extension. An attacker with access to the private key for a valid certificate issued by a CA trusted for TLS client authentication but designated for a different purpose could have used that certificate to improperly access resources requiring TLS client authentication. Server configurations that do not use client certificates (GnuTLSClientVerify ignore, the default) are not affected. The problem has been fixed in version 0.13.0 by rewriting certificate verification to use gnutls_certificate_verify_peers(), and requiring key purpose id-kp-clientAuth (also known as tls_www_client in GnuTLS) by default if the Extended Key Usage extension is present. The new GnuTLSClientKeyPurpose option allows overriding the expected key purpose if needed (please see the manual for details). Behavior for certificates without an Extended Key Usage extension is unchanged. If dedicated (sub-)CAs are used for issuing TLS client certificates only (not for any other purposes) the issue has no practical impact.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
6.8
mod_gnutls missing key purpose check in client certificate verification
Mod_gnutls is a TLS module for Apache HTTPD based on GnuTLS. Prior to version 0.13.0, code for client certificate verification did not check the key purpose as set in the Extended Key Usage extension. An attacker with access to the private key for a valid certificate issued by a CA trusted for TLS client authentication but designated for a different purpose could have used that certificate to improperly access resources requiring TLS client authentication. Server configurations that do not use client certificates (GnuTLSClientVerify ignore, the default) are not affected. The problem has been fixed in version 0.13.0 by rewriting certificate verification to use gnutls_certificate_verify_peers(), and requiring key purpose id-kp-clientAuth (also known as tls_www_client in GnuTLS) by default if the Extended Key Usage extension is present. The new GnuTLSClientKeyPurpose option allows overriding the expected key purpose if needed (please see the manual for details). Behavior for certificates without an Extended Key Usage extension is unchanged. If dedicated (sub-)CAs are used for issuing TLS client certificates only (not for any other purposes) the issue has no practical impact.
- Record
CVE-2026-33308- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-295
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-14694
6.8
Mod_gnutls is a TLS module for Apache HTTPD based on GnuTLS. Prior to version 0.13.0, code for client certificate verification did not check the key purpose as set in the Extended Key Usage extension. An attacker with access to the private key for a valid certificate issued by a CA trusted for TLS client authentication but designated for a different purpose could have used that certificate to improperly access resources requiring TLS client authentication. Server configurations that do not use client certificates (GnuTLSClientVerify ignore, the default) are not affected. The problem has been fixed in version 0.13.0 by rewriting certificate verification to use gnutls_certificate_verify_peers(), and requiring key purpose id-kp-clientAuth (also known as tls_www_client in GnuTLS) by default if the Extended Key Usage extension is present. The new GnuTLSClientKeyPurpose option allows overriding the expected key purpose if needed (please see the manual for details). Behavior for certificates without an Extended Key Usage extension is unchanged. If dedicated (sub-)CAs are used for issuing TLS client certificates only (not for any other purposes) the issue has no practical impact.
- Record
EUVD-2026-14694- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
6.8
Mod_gnutls is a TLS module for Apache HTTPD based on GnuTLS. Prior to version 0.13.0, code for client certificate verification did not check the key purpose as set in the Extended Key Usage extension. An attacker with access to the private key for a valid certificate issued by a CA trusted for TLS client authentication but designated for a different purpose could have used that certificate to improperly access resources requiring TLS client authentication. Server configurations that do not use client certificates (GnuTLSClientVerify ignore, the default) are not affected. The problem has been fixed in version 0.13.0 by rewriting certificate verification to use gnutls_certificate_verify_peers(), and requiring key purpose id-kp-clientAuth (also known as tls_www_client in GnuTLS) by default if the Extended Key Usage extension is present. The new GnuTLSClientKeyPurpose option allows overriding the expected key purpose if needed (please see the manual for details). Behavior for certificates without an Extended Key Usage extension is unchanged. If dedicated (sub-)CAs are used for issuing TLS client certificates only (not for any other purposes) the issue has no practical impact.
- Record
CVE-2026-33308- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-295
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
6.8
mod_gnutls missing key purpose check in client certificate verification
Mod_gnutls is a TLS module for Apache HTTPD based on GnuTLS. Prior to version 0.13.0, code for client certificate verification did not check the key purpose as set in the Extended Key Usage extension. An attacker with access to the private key for a valid certificate issued by a CA trusted for TLS client authentication but designated for a different purpose could have used that certificate to improperly access resources requiring TLS client authentication. Server configurations that do not use client certificates (GnuTLSClientVerify ignore, the default) are not affected. The problem has been fixed in version 0.13.0 by rewriting certificate verification to use gnutls_certificate_verify_peers(), and requiring key purpose id-kp-clientAuth (also known as tls_www_client in GnuTLS) by default if the Extended Key Usage extension is present. The new GnuTLSClientKeyPurpose option allows overriding the expected key purpose if needed (please see the manual for details). Behavior for certificates without an Extended Key Usage extension is unchanged. If dedicated (sub-)CAs are used for issuing TLS client certificates only (not for any other purposes) the issue has no practical impact.
- Record
CVE-2026-33308- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-295
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2026-33308
6.8
Mod_gnutls is a TLS module for Apache HTTPD based on GnuTLS. Prior to version 0.13.0, code for client certificate verification did not check the key purpose as set in the Extended Key Usage extension. An attacker with access to the private key for a valid certificate issued by a CA trusted for TLS client authentication but designated for a different purpose could have used that certificate to improperly access resources requiring TLS client authentication. Server configurations that do not use client certificates (GnuTLSClientVerify ignore, the default) are not affected. The problem has been fixed in version 0.13.0 by rewriting certificate verification to use gnutls_certificate_verify_peers(), and requiring key purpose id-kp-clientAuth (also known as tls_www_client in GnuTLS) by default if the Extended Key Usage extension is present. The new GnuTLSClientKeyPurpose option allows overriding the expected key purpose if needed (please see the manual for details). Behavior for certificates without an Extended Key Usage extension is unchanged. If dedicated (sub-)CAs are used for issuing TLS client certificates only (not for any other purposes) the issue has no practical impact.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-33308- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
mod-gnutlsUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.6-1.10.7.3-0ubuntu1 |
None known |
mod-gnutlsUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.8.2-3ubuntu1 |
None known |
mod-gnutlsUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.8.2-3ubuntu10.9.0-1.1ubuntu1 |
None known |
mod-gnutlsUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.9.0-1.1ubuntu1 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-33308 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.8) in Mod Gnutls Project Gnutls, published March 24, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.21%, the 11th percentile. No source names a fixed version.