CVE-2021-44532Network attack vector

Certificate verification bypass via SAN string injection

Published Feb 24, 2022 · Updated Apr 30, 2025

Certificate verification bypass in Node.js before 12.22.9, 14.18.3, 16.13.2, and 17.3.1 allows remote attackers to spoof trusted peers. The X.509 GeneralName formatter serializes SAN components without unambiguous escaping, so crafted values are interpreted as different names. Exploitation requires a crafted certificate in a name-constrained chain and a network position that can present it during a Node.js TLS connection.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability10.36%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Certificate verification bypass in Node.js before 12.22.9, 14.18.3, 16.13.2, and 17.3.1 allows remote attackers to spoof trusted peers. The X.509 GeneralName formatter serializes SAN components without unambiguous escaping, so crafted values are interpreted as different names. Exploitation requires a crafted certificate in a name-constrained chain and a network position that can present it during a Node.js TLS connection.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-44532
Published
Feb 24, 2022
Updated
Apr 30, 2025
Vendor
Node.js
Product
Node.js
Classifications
CWE-295, CWE-296, T1557
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 24, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=10.0 <10.*
  2. Affected versionversion=11.0 <11.*
  3. Affected versionversion=12.0 <12.22.9
  4. Affected versionversion=13.0 <13.*
  5. Affected versionversion=14.0 <14.18.3
  6. Affected versionversion=15.0 <15.*
  7. Affected versionversion=16.0 <16.13.2
  8. Affected versionversion=17.0 <17.3.1
  9. Affected versionversion=4.0 <4.*
  10. Affected versionversion=5.0 <5.*
  11. Affected versionversion=6.0 <6.*
  12. Affected versionversion=7.0 <7.*
  13. Affected versionversion=8.0 <8.*
  14. Affected versionversion=9.0 <9.*

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Node.js · Node.jsversion=10.0 <10.*; version=11.0 <11.*; version=12.0 <12.22.9; version=13.0 <13.*; version=14.0 <14.18.3; version=15.0 <15.*; version=16.0 <16.13.2; version=17.0 <17.3.1; version=4.0 <4.*; version=5.0 <5.*; version=6.0 <6.*; version=7.0 <7.*; version=8.0 <8.*; version=9.0 <9.*

Published CVSS scores

5.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
5.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-295Improper Certificate Validation
CWE-296Improper Following of a Certificate's Chain of Trust
T1557Adversary-in-the-Middle

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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