Forge: verifyCertificateChain() removes trusted CA certificates with the same subject from the CA store

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2026-118780: 0.17% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 6.63 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary When a CA store created by `pki.createCaStore()` holds two or more certificates with the same subject name, `pki.verifyCertificateChain()` permanently removes those certificates from the store while trying each one as the issuer. A peer can send any certificate that names that subject as its issuer to make all later verifications against those CA certificates fail. Fixed in node-forge 1.4.1.

Details `pki.verifyCertificateChain()` (`lib/x509.js`) asks the CA store for the issuer of each certificate with `caStore.getIssuer()`. When the store holds several certificates with the same subject, `caStore.getIssuer()` returns the store's own internal array of those certificates (`caStore.certs[hash]`, built by `addCertificate()`). `verifyCertificateChain()` used that array directly as its list of candidate parents and called `parents.shift()` on it while trying each candidate. Every candidate it tried, including the one that finally verified the certificate, was removed from…

Published by the source

30 Oct 2026, 23:02 UTC

Last modified by the source

30 Oct 2026, 23:15 UTC

Source last checked

31 Oct 2026, 06:00 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 31 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-4487-j8r4-4g2f

2. Revision 1 · created · 30 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-4487-j8r4-4g2f

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-118780

Advisory: Forge: verifyCertificateChain() removes trusted CA certificates with the same subject from the CA store
IDs: CVE-2026-118780, GHSA-4487-j8r4-4g2f
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-118780 (revision 2, source checked 31 Oct 2026, 06:00 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Low (CVSS 3.7)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: node-forge 1.4.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm node-forge: affected < 1.4.1; fixed in 1.4.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls node-forge --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on node-forge.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-4487-j8r4-4g2f (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-4487-j8r4-4g2f lists affected ranges: npm node-forge >=0 <=1.4.0)
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-4487-j8r4-4g2f (OSV record GHSA-4487-j8r4-4g2f lists affected ranges: npm node-forge >=0 <1.4.1 (fixed))

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