github - ghsa-5gfm-wpxj-wjgq

GHSA-5GFM-WPXJ-WJGQ

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-11-26 22:07 – Updated: 2025-11-26 22:07

Summary

node-forge has an Interpretation Conflict vulnerability via its ASN.1 Validator Desynchronization

Details

Summary

CVE-2025-12816 has been reserved by CERT/CC

Description An Interpretation Conflict (CWE-436) vulnerability in node-forge versions 1.3.1 and below enables remote, unauthenticated attackers to craft ASN.1 structures to desynchronize schema validations, yielding a semantic divergence that may bypass downstream cryptographic verifications and security decisions.

Details

A critical ASN.1 validation bypass vulnerability exists in the node-forge asn1.validate function within forge/lib/asn1.js. ASN.1 is a schema language that defines data structures, like the typed record schemas used in X.509, PKCS#7, PKCS#12, etc. DER (Distinguished Encoding Rules), a strict binary encoding of ASN.1, is what cryptographic code expects when verifying signatures, and the exact bytes and structure must match the schema used to compute and verify the signature. After deserializing DER, Forge uses static ASN.1 validation schemas to locate the signed data or public key, compute digests over the exact bytes required, and feed digest and signature fields into cryptographic primitives.

This vulnerability allows a specially crafted ASN.1 object to desynchronize the validator on optional boundaries, causing a malformed optional field to be semantically reinterpreted as the subsequent mandatory structure. This manifests as logic bypasses in cryptographic algorithms and protocols with optional security features (such as PKCS#12, where MACs are treated as absent) and semantic interpretation conflicts in strict protocols (such as X.509, where fields are read as the wrong type).

Impact

This flaw allows an attacker to desynchronize the validator, allowing critical components like digital signatures or integrity checks to be skipped or validated against attacker-controlled data.

This vulnerability impacts the ans1.validate function in node-forge before patched version 1.3.2. https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/main/lib/asn1.js.

The following components in node-forge are impacted. lib/asn1.js lib/x509.js lib/pkcs12.js lib/pkcs7.js lib/rsa.js lib/pbe.js lib/ed25519.js

Any downstream application using these components is impacted.

These components may be leveraged by downstream applications in ways that enable full compromise of integrity, leading to potential availability and confidentiality compromises.

Severity ?

8.6 (High)


                  
                    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N

8.7 (High)


                  
                    CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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JSON

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{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "npm",
        "name": "node-forge"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "1.3.2"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2025-12816"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-436"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2025-11-26T22:07:19Z",
    "nvd_published_at": "2025-11-25T20:15:58Z",
    "severity": "HIGH"
  },
  "details": "### Summary\n\nCVE-2025-12816 has been reserved by CERT/CC\n\n**Description**\nAn Interpretation Conflict (CWE-436) vulnerability in node-forge versions 1.3.1 and below enables remote, unauthenticated attackers to craft ASN.1 structures to desynchronize schema validations, yielding a semantic divergence that may bypass downstream cryptographic verifications and security decisions.\n\n\n### Details\n\nA critical ASN.1 validation bypass vulnerability exists in the node-forge asn1.validate function within `forge/lib/asn1.js`. ASN.1 is a schema language that defines data structures, like the typed record schemas used in X.509, PKCS#7, PKCS#12, etc. DER (Distinguished Encoding Rules), a strict binary encoding of ASN.1, is what cryptographic code expects when verifying signatures, and the exact bytes and structure must match the schema used to compute and verify the signature. After deserializing DER, Forge uses static ASN.1 validation schemas to locate the signed data or public key, compute digests over the exact bytes required, and feed digest and signature fields into cryptographic primitives.\n\nThis vulnerability allows a specially crafted ASN.1 object to desynchronize the validator on optional boundaries, causing a malformed optional field to be semantically reinterpreted as the subsequent mandatory structure. This manifests as logic bypasses in cryptographic algorithms and protocols with optional security features (such as PKCS#12, where MACs are treated as absent) and semantic interpretation conflicts in strict protocols (such as X.509, where fields are read as the wrong type).\n\n### Impact\n\nThis flaw allows an attacker to desynchronize the validator, allowing critical components like digital signatures or integrity checks to be skipped or validated against attacker-controlled data.\n\nThis vulnerability impacts the `ans1.validate` function in `node-forge` before patched version `1.3.2`.\nhttps://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/main/lib/asn1.js.\n\nThe following components in `node-forge` are impacted.\n[lib/asn1.js](https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/asn1.js#L1153)\n[lib/x509.js](https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/x509.js#L667)\n[lib/pkcs12.js](https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/pkcs12.js#L328)\n[lib/pkcs7.js](https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/pkcs7.js#L90)\n[lib/rsa.js](https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/rsa.js#L1167)\n[lib/pbe.js](https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/pbe.js#L363)\n[lib/ed25519.js](https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/ed25519.js#L81)\n\nAny downstream application using these components is impacted.\n\nThese components may be leveraged by downstream applications in ways that enable full compromise of integrity, leading to potential availability and confidentiality compromises.",
  "id": "GHSA-5gfm-wpxj-wjgq",
  "modified": "2025-11-26T22:07:20Z",
  "published": "2025-11-26T22:07:19Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/security/advisories/GHSA-5gfm-wpxj-wjgq"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/pull/1124"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/asn1.js#L1153"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/ed25519.js#L81"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/pbe.js#L363"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/pkcs12.js#L328"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/pkcs7.js#L90"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/rsa.js#L1167"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/blob/2bb97afb5058285ef09bcf1d04d6bd6b87cffd58/lib/x509.js#L667"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://kb.cert.org/vuls/id/521113"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/521113"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://www.npmjs.com/package/node-forge"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    },
    {
      "score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V4"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "node-forge has an Interpretation Conflict vulnerability via its ASN.1 Validator Desynchronization"
}

CVE-2025-12816 (GCVE-0-2025-12816)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-11-25 19:15 – Updated: 2025-11-25 21:04

Summary

An interpretation-conflict (CWE-436) vulnerability in node-forge versions 1.3.1 and earlier enables unauthenticated attackers to craft ASN.1 structures to desynchronize schema validations, yielding a semantic divergence that may bypass downstream cryptographic verifications and security decisions.

Severity ?

No CVSS data available.

CWE

CWE-436 Interpretation Conflict

Assigner

certcc

References

URL

Tags

	https://www.npmjs.com/package/node-forge
	https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/pull/1124
	https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge
	https://kb.cert.org/vuls/id/521113	third-party-advisory
	https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/security/a…	third-party-advisory

Impacted products

Vendor

Product

Version

Digital Bazaar

node-forge

Affected: 0 , ≤ 1.3.1 (semver)

Digital Bazaar

forge

Affected: 0 , ≤ 1.3.1 (semver)

Credits

This issue was reported by Hunter Wodzenski of Palo Alto Networks

Show details on NVD website

JSON

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{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
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              "attackComplexity": "LOW",
              "attackVector": "NETWORK",
              "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
              "baseScore": 8.6,
              "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
              "confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
              "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
              "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
              "scope": "CHANGED",
              "userInteraction": "NONE",
              "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N",
              "version": "3.1"
            }
          },
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2025-12816",
                "options": [
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                  },
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                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2025-11-25T20:21:37.225634Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "problemTypes": [
          {
            "descriptions": [
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        "providerMetadata": {
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          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
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      },
      {
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          "dateUpdated": "2025-11-25T21:04:09.432Z",
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        },
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/521113"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "node-forge",
          "vendor": "Digital Bazaar",
          "versions": [
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      "credits": [
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      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "other": {
            "content": {
              "schemaVersion": "2.0.0",
              "selections": [
                {
                  "definition": "The present state of exploitation of the vulnerability.",
                  "key": "E",
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                {
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          "url": "https://kb.cert.org/vuls/id/521113"
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    "datePublished": "2025-11-25T19:15:50.243Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-11-06T17:11:38.255Z",
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}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

Action not permitted

GHSA-5GFM-WPXJ-WJGQ

Summary

Details

Impact

CVE-2025-12816 (GCVE-0-2025-12816)

Tags

Sightings

Nomenclature