CVE-2026-123872: Auth Bypass (CVSS 8.1)

Description

A client certificate authentication bypass in Node.js TLS lets a client change the servername during TLS 1.2 renegotiation to reach endpoints it was not authorized for. On a server that applies different client-certificate policies per hostname, for example stricter admin-only client-cert auth on one host and ordinary client-cert auth on another, a client that authenticates for a permitted host can renegotiate the TLS 1.2 connection under a different servername and carry its existing authentication to the protected host, bypassing the stricter policy. This vulnerability affects Node.js 26.x, 24.x, and 22.x.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.1

HIGH

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0036

Probability of exploitation

0.30%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-287 Improper Authentication

References

Other References

https://cna.openjsf.org/security-advisories.html https://nodejs.org/en/blog/vulnerability/november-2026-security-releases

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-123872? +

A client certificate authentication bypass in Node.js TLS lets a client change the servername during TLS 1.2 renegotiation to reach endpoints it was not authorized for. On a server that applies different client-certificate policies per hostname, for example stricter admin-only client-cert auth on one host and ordinary client-cert auth on another, a client that authenticates for a permitted host can renegotiate the TLS 1.2 connection under a different servername and carry its existing authentication to the protected host, bypassing the stricter policy. This vulnerability affects Node.js 26.x, 24.x, and 22.x. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-123872? +

CVE-2026-123872 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0036, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-123872? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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