{"id":"CVE-2026-118778","aliases":["AZL-112513","CLSA-2026-1793790288","CLSA-2026-1793804252","CLSA-2026-1793811764","CLSA-2026-1793829020","EUVD-2026-113336","GHSA-525v-9gp9-w22h","UBUNTU-CVE-2026-118778"],"status":"published","title":"Forge: TLS client crash when the server sends no certificate","description":"Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, the affected implementation used forge.tls.createConnection(), c.session.serverCertificate, RSA key exchange to process the relevant input or security decision. node-forge's TLS client checked the wrong property when deciding whether a server certificate was missing. A malicious TLS server or on-path peer could omit the Certificate message and reach code that dereferenced the absent certificate, causing an uncaught exception and terminating the connection or process. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.1.","severity":{"version":"3.1","score":5.9,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium","assessor":"cna","from":"cve"},"epss":{"day":"2026-11-12","score":0.00215,"percentile":0.12063,"model":"v2026.06.15"},"facts":{"in_kev":false,"known_exploited":false,"public_exploit":false,"fix_available":true},"cwes":["CWE-476"],"published":"2026-10-29T18:44:09Z","modified":"2026-11-10T19:24:39Z","fixes":[{"ecosystem":"npm","package":"node-forge","fixed_in":["1.4.1"],"sources":["ghsa","osv"]}],"affected":[{"source":"ghsa","ecosystem":"npm","package":"node-forge","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"last_affected":"1.4.0"},{"fixed":"1.4.1"}]}]},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"Azure Linux:3","package":"python-tensorboard","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"last_affected":"2.16.2-6"}]}]},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"TuxCare:npm","package":"node-forge","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"1.3.3-tuxcare.0"},{"fixed":"1.3.3-tuxcare.3"}]}],"versions":["1.3.3","1.3.3-tuxcare.1","1.3.3-tuxcare.2"],"bundled":10},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"TuxCare:npm","package":"node-forge","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"1.3.1-tuxcare.0"},{"fixed":"1.3.1-tuxcare.3"}]}],"versions":["1.3.1","1.3.1-tuxcare.1","1.3.1-tuxcare.2"],"bundled":4},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"TuxCare:npm","package":"node-forge","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0.10.0-tuxcare.0"},{"fixed":"0.10.0-tuxcare.9"}]}],"versions":["0.10.0","0.10.0-tuxcare.1","0.10.0-tuxcare.2","0.10.0-tuxcare.3","0.10.0-tuxcare.4","0.10.0-tuxcare.5","0.10.0-tuxcare.6","0.10.0-tuxcare.7","0.10.0-tuxcare.8"],"bundled":4},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"TuxCare:npm","package":"node-forge","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0.9.0-tuxcare.0"},{"fixed":"0.9.0-tuxcare.2"}]}],"versions":["0.9.0","0.9.0-tuxcare.1"],"bundled":5},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"npm","package":"node-forge","ranges":[{"type":"SEMVER","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"1.4.1"}]}]},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:20.04:LTS","package":"node-node-forge","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}],"versions":["0.8.5~dfsg-2","0.9.1~dfsg-1"]},{"source":"osv","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:22.04:LTS","package":"node-node-forge","ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"}]}],"versions":["0.10.0~dfsg-3","1.2.1~dfsg-2"]}],"products":[{"vendor":"digitalbazaar","product":"forge"}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/security/advisories/GHSA-525v-9gp9-w22h","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM","Exploit","Mitigation","Vendor Advisory","advisory","web","report"]},{"url":"https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/commit/7be9fbd40df2e2f15f29fea2846b1c87d58f6888","tags":["x_refsource_MISC","Patch","fix","web","report"]},{"url":"https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/releases/tag/v1.4.1","tags":["x_refsource_MISC","Release Notes","web","report"]},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-118778","tags":["web","advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-525v-9gp9-w22h"},{"url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/118xxx/CVE-2026-118778.json","tags":["advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge","tags":["package"]},{"url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-118778","tags":["report"]},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-118778","tags":["report"]}],"sources":{"cve":[{"id":"CVE-2026-118778","title":"Forge: TLS client crash when the server sends no certificate","description":"Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, the affected implementation used forge.tls.createConnection(), c.session.serverCertificate, RSA key exchange to process the relevant input or security decision. node-forge's TLS client checked the wrong property when deciding whether a server certificate was missing. A malicious TLS server or on-path peer could omit the Certificate message and reach code that dereferenced the absent certificate, causing an uncaught exception and terminating the connection or process. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.1.","status":"published","published":"2026-10-29T18:44:09.502Z","modified":"2026-11-03T16:20:22.99Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":5.9,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium","assessor":"cna"}],"cwes":["CWE-476"],"updated_at":"2026-11-03T17:29:02.209656Z"}],"euvd":[{"id":"EUVD-2026-113336","description":"Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, the affected implementation used forge.tls.createConnection(), c.session.serverCertificate, RSA key exchange to process the relevant input or security decision. node-forge's TLS client checked the wrong property when deciding whether a server certificate was missing. A malicious TLS server or on-path peer could omit the Certificate message and reach code that dereferenced the absent certificate, causing an uncaught exception and terminating the connection or process. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.1.","status":"published","published":"2026-10-29T18:44:09Z","modified":"2026-11-03T16:20:22Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":5.9,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium"}],"updated_at":"2026-11-03T17:18:21.496138Z"}],"ghsa":[{"id":"GHSA-525v-9gp9-w22h","title":"Forge: TLS client crash when the server sends no certificate","description":"### Summary\nThe forge TLS client's check for a missing server certificate read the wrong property and never ran. A malicious TLS server, or an on-path attacker who removes the server's Certificate message, can make `connection.process()` throw a `TypeError`, which crashes applications that use the forge TLS client. Fixed in node-forge 1.4.1.\n\n### Details\nAfter ServerHelloDone, `tls.handleServerHelloDone()` in `lib/tls.js` is meant to reject a server that sent no certificate with a fatal `insufficient_security` alert, after consulting the application's `verify` callback. The check tested `c.serverCertificate`, which is never set (the certificate is stored as `c.session.serverCertificate`), so it never ran. The client state machine allows ServerHelloDone directly after ServerHello, so the handshake continued to `tls.createClientKeyExchange()`, which reads `c.session.serverCertificate.publicKey` and throws a `TypeError` on the null certificate. The exception propagates out of `connection.process()` without calling the `verify` or `error` callbacks.\n\nThere is no authentication bypass: without a server certificate the client cannot build its RSA key exchange, so the handshake cannot complete.\n\nThe fix reads `c.session.serverCertificate` and always fails the handshake in that case, still calling `verify` so the application can customize the alert. Failing even when `verify` returns `true` is needed because the key exchange requires the certificate.\n\n#### Patches\nFixed in node-forge 1.4.1. The TLS client fails the handshake with an `insufficient_security` alert when the server sends no certificate.\n\n#### Workarounds\nCatch exceptions thrown by `connection.process()` in the code that feeds it network data, and close the connection when one occurs.\n\n#### Credits\nReported by @arpitjain099.\n\n### Proof of concept\nConnect a forge TLS client (`forge.tls.createConnection({server: false, ...})`) to a server whose first flight contains ServerHello and ServerHelloDone but no Certificate message. For example, run a forge TLS server and remove the Certificate handshake message (type 11) from its first flight before passing it to the client's `process()`.\n\nOn 1.4.0 the client's `process()` throws \"TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'publicKey')\", and the `verify` and `error` callbacks are not called. On 1.4.1 the client calls `verify` with `insufficient_security` and no certificates, calls `error` with \"No server certificate provided. Not enough security.\", sends a fatal alert and closes the connection.\n\nRegression tests are in tests/unit/tls.js (\"missing server certificate\").\n\n### Impact\nApplications that use the forge TLS client (`forge.tls.createConnection` with `server: false`) are affected. A malicious server the application connects to, or an on-path attacker who can modify the unauthenticated handshake, can make the client throw from `connection.process()`. Since `process()` is normally called from a socket data handler, the uncaught exception terminates a Node.js process. There is no confidentiality or integrity impact. Applications using Node.js's own TLS implementation are not affected.","status":"published","published":"2026-10-30T23:02:30Z","modified":"2026-10-30T23:02:34Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":5.9,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-476"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T14:41:41.028239Z"}],"nvd":[{"id":"CVE-2026-118778","description":"Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, the affected implementation used forge.tls.createConnection(), c.session.serverCertificate, RSA key exchange to process the relevant input or security decision. node-forge's TLS client checked the wrong property when deciding whether a server certificate was missing. A malicious TLS server or on-path peer could omit the Certificate message and reach code that dereferenced the absent certificate, causing an uncaught exception and terminating the connection or process. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.1.","status":"published","published":"2026-10-29T19:17:20.42Z","modified":"2026-11-10T19:24:39.33Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":5.9,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium","assessor":"secondary"}],"cwes":["CWE-476"],"updated_at":"2026-11-10T22:21:30.732518Z"}],"osv":[{"id":"CVE-2026-118778","title":"Forge: TLS client crash when the server sends no certificate","description":"Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, the affected implementation used forge.tls.createConnection(), c.session.serverCertificate, RSA key exchange to process the relevant input or security decision. node-forge's TLS client checked the wrong property when deciding whether a server certificate was missing. A malicious TLS server or on-path peer could omit the Certificate message and reach code that dereferenced the absent certificate, causing an uncaught exception and terminating the connection or process. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.1.","status":"published","published":"2026-10-29T18:44:09.502Z","modified":"2026-11-12T02:46:44.639202654Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":5.9,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-476"],"updated_at":"2026-11-07T03:08:01.41647Z"},{"id":"GHSA-525v-9gp9-w22h","title":"Forge: TLS client crash when the server sends no certificate","description":"### Summary\nThe forge TLS client's check for a missing server certificate read the wrong property and never ran. A malicious TLS server, or an on-path attacker who removes the server's Certificate message, can make `connection.process()` throw a `TypeError`, which crashes applications that use the forge TLS client. Fixed in node-forge 1.4.1.\n\n### Details\nAfter ServerHelloDone, `tls.handleServerHelloDone()` in `lib/tls.js` is meant to reject a server that sent no certificate with a fatal `insufficient_security` alert, after consulting the application's `verify` callback. The check tested `c.serverCertificate`, which is never set (the certificate is stored as `c.session.serverCertificate`), so it never ran. The client state machine allows ServerHelloDone directly after ServerHello, so the handshake continued to `tls.createClientKeyExchange()`, which reads `c.session.serverCertificate.publicKey` and throws a `TypeError` on the null certificate. The exception propagates out of `connection.process()` without calling the `verify` or `error` callbacks.\n\nThere is no authentication bypass: without a server certificate the client cannot build its RSA key exchange, so the handshake cannot complete.\n\nThe fix reads `c.session.serverCertificate` and always fails the handshake in that case, still calling `verify` so the application can customize the alert. Failing even when `verify` returns `true` is needed because the key exchange requires the certificate.\n\n#### Patches\nFixed in node-forge 1.4.1. The TLS client fails the handshake with an `insufficient_security` alert when the server sends no certificate.\n\n#### Workarounds\nCatch exceptions thrown by `connection.process()` in the code that feeds it network data, and close the connection when one occurs.\n\n#### Credits\nReported by @arpitjain099.\n\n### Proof of concept\nConnect a forge TLS client (`forge.tls.createConnection({server: false, ...})`) to a server whose first flight contains ServerHello and ServerHelloDone but no Certificate message. For example, run a forge TLS server and remove the Certificate handshake message (type 11) from its first flight before passing it to the client's `process()`.\n\nOn 1.4.0 the client's `process()` throws \"TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'publicKey')\", and the `verify` and `error` callbacks are not called. On 1.4.1 the client calls `verify` with `insufficient_security` and no certificates, calls `error` with \"No server certificate provided. Not enough security.\", sends a fatal alert and closes the connection.\n\nRegression tests are in tests/unit/tls.js (\"missing server certificate\").\n\n### Impact\nApplications that use the forge TLS client (`forge.tls.createConnection` with `server: false`) are affected. A malicious server the application connects to, or an on-path attacker who can modify the unauthenticated handshake, can make the client throw from `connection.process()`. Since `process()` is normally called from a socket data handler, the uncaught exception terminates a Node.js process. There is no confidentiality or integrity impact. Applications using Node.js's own TLS implementation are not affected.","status":"published","published":"2026-10-30T23:02:30Z","modified":"2026-10-30T23:15:06.416126647Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":5.9,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium"}],"cwes":["CWE-476"],"updated_at":"2026-11-02T15:46:37.528068Z"},{"id":"UBUNTU-CVE-2026-118778","description":"Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, the affected implementation used forge.tls.createConnection(), c.session.serverCertificate, RSA key exchange to process the relevant input or security decision. node-forge's TLS client checked the wrong property when deciding whether a server certificate was missing. A malicious TLS server or on-path peer could omit the Certificate message and reach code that dereferenced the absent certificate, causing an uncaught exception and terminating the connection or process. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.1.","status":"published","published":"2026-10-29T19:17:00Z","modified":"2026-11-05T04:42:51Z","cvss":[{"version":"3.1","score":5.9,"vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","level":"medium"}],"updated_at":"2026-11-05T13:33:25.727744Z"},{"id":"AZL-112513","title":"CVE-2026-118778 affecting package python-tensorboard 2.16.2-6","description":"Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, the affected implementation used forge.tls.createConnection(), c.session.serverCertificate, RSA key exchange to process the relevant input or security decision. node-forge's TLS client checked the wrong property when deciding whether a server certificate was missing. A malicious TLS server or on-path peer could omit the Certificate message and reach code that dereferenced the absent certificate, causing an uncaught exception and terminating the connection or process. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.1.","status":"published","published":"2026-10-29T19:17:20Z","modified":"2026-11-03T05:33:06Z","updated_at":"2026-11-05T16:41:19.001909Z"},{"id":"CLSA-2026-1793790288","title":"TuxCare security update for node-forge (10 CVEs)","description":"TuxCare rebuilt node-forge to address 10 CVEs. Fixed in 1.3.3-tuxcare.3.","status":"published","published":"2026-11-04T12:04:49Z","modified":"2026-11-04T14:45:05.648236093Z","updated_at":"2026-11-04T15:03:54.132276Z"},{"id":"CLSA-2026-1793804252","title":"TuxCare security update for node-forge (4 CVEs)","description":"TuxCare rebuilt node-forge to address 4 CVEs. Fixed in 1.3.1-tuxcare.3.","status":"published","published":"2026-11-04T15:57:32Z","modified":"2026-11-04T19:00:38.294361077Z","updated_at":"2026-11-04T19:15:03.6858Z"},{"id":"CLSA-2026-1793811764","title":"TuxCare security update for node-forge (4 CVEs)","description":"TuxCare rebuilt node-forge to address 4 CVEs. Fixed in 0.10.0-tuxcare.9.","status":"published","published":"2026-11-04T18:02:44Z","modified":"2026-11-04T19:00:40.10241157Z","updated_at":"2026-11-04T19:15:03.6858Z"},{"id":"CLSA-2026-1793829020","title":"TuxCare security update for node-forge (5 CVEs)","description":"TuxCare rebuilt node-forge to address 5 CVEs. Fixed in 0.9.0-tuxcare.2.","status":"published","published":"2026-11-04T22:50:21Z","modified":"2026-11-05T01:00:03.593188659Z","updated_at":"2026-11-05T01:12:05.565404Z"}]}}