CVE-2026-33248

Summary

NATS-Server is a High-Performance server for NATS.io, a cloud and edge native messaging system. Prior to versions 2.11.15 and 2.12.6, when using mTLS for client identity, with verify_and_map to derive a NATS identity from the client certificate's Subject DN, certain patterns of RDN would not be correctly enforced, allowing for authentication bypass. This does require a valid certificate from a CA already trusted for client certificates, and DN naming patterns which the NATS maintainers consider highly unlikely. So this is an unlikely attack. Nonetheless, administrators who have been very sophisticated in their DN construction patterns might conceivably be impacted. Versions 2.11.15 and 2.12.6 contain a fix. As a workaround, developers should review their CA issuing practices.

Affected Software

VendorProductVersion RangeStatus
nats-ionats-server< 2.11.15affected
nats-ionats-server>= 2.12.0-RC.1, < 2.12.6affected

Weaknesses

  • CWE-287: CWE-287: Improper Authentication
  • CWE-295: CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation

ADP Enrichment

CISA ADP Vulnrichment

  • SSVC:
  • Exploitation: none
    • Automatable: no
    • Technical Impact: partial

References