Overview
CVE-2025-12816 describes an interpretation-conflict vulnerability (CWE-436) affecting node-forge versions 1.3.1 and earlier. This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to craft specific ASN.1 structures that can desynchronize schema validations. This desynchronization can lead to semantic divergence, potentially bypassing crucial downstream cryptographic verifications and security decisions. Essentially, the vulnerability allows an attacker to create data that is interpreted differently by different parts of the system, leading to security compromises.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from inconsistencies in how node-forge parses and validates ASN.1 (Abstract Syntax Notation One) structures. ASN.1 is a standard and notation describing rules and structures for representing, encoding, transmitting, and decoding data in telecommunications and computer networking. A carefully crafted, malicious ASN.1 structure can exploit subtle differences in how different components within or interacting with node-forge interpret the ASN.1 schema. This allows an attacker to effectively “smuggle” data past the initial validation stages.
The core issue lies in the potential for discrepancies between the intended schema validation and the actual processing of the ASN.1 data. An attacker can manipulate the structure to trigger an interpretation that deviates from what’s expected, allowing malicious payloads to bypass security checks.
CVSS Analysis
While the official CVE record states a CVSS score of N/A and a severity of N/A, this does not fully represent the potential risk. The vulnerability allows for cryptographic bypasses, which can have serious impacts. A proper CVSS score assessment would likely reveal a HIGH severity depending on exploitability within specific usage scenarios. The complexity would likely be high, as crafting the malicious ASN.1 structure requires a deep understanding of ASN.1 encoding and node-forge’s parsing logic.
Factors to consider when assessing the true CVSS score include:
- Attack Vector: Network.
- Attack Complexity: High.
- Privileges Required: None.
- User Interaction: None.
- Scope: Changed (if successful bypass affects other components).
- Confidentiality Impact: High (potential for data leakage).
- Integrity Impact: High (potential for data manipulation).
- Availability Impact: None likely, but depends on exploitation.
Possible Impact
The impact of CVE-2025-12816 can be significant, particularly in applications that rely on node-forge for critical cryptographic operations. Potential consequences include:
- Bypassing Authentication: An attacker could forge authentication tokens or certificates.
- Data Tampering: Malicious data can be injected or existing data can be modified without proper authorization.
- Elevation of Privilege: An attacker might gain unauthorized access to sensitive resources.
- Compromised Communication Security: Secure communication channels could be undermined.
The specific impact will depend on how node-forge is used within the affected application.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
The primary mitigation strategy is to upgrade to a version of node-forge that addresses this vulnerability. Refer to the official node-forge documentation and security advisories for the recommended version. The pull request https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/pull/1124 contains the fix.
Other steps include:
- Upgrade node-forge: The most effective solution is to update to the latest stable version of node-forge, which contains the necessary security fixes.
- Input Validation: If immediate patching is not possible, implement strict validation of all ASN.1 structures before processing them with node-forge. This is a complex task and may not be foolproof, but can provide a layer of defense.
- Monitor Applications: Closely monitor applications that use node-forge for any unusual activity or suspicious behavior.
