Vulnerability Description
Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, node-forge enforced an X.509 CA certificate's basicConstraints.pathLenConstraint only when that certificate also carried a keyUsage extension. Exploitation requires a path-length-constrained CA without keyUsage that chains to a root trusted by the application, and an attacker who holds that CA's private key or obtains a subordinate CA certificate from it. The attacker could then construct a chain exceeding the declared path length that still passed pki.verifyCertificateChain(). Public web PKI CA certificates normally include keyUsage; private PKIs with CA certificates created without it are more likely to be affected. This issue is fixed in version 1.4.1.
CVSS Score
MEDIUM
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/commit/696db92348623e88cc63c35f0a89ede481
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/releases/tag/v1.4.1
- https://github.com/digitalbazaar/forge/security/advisories/GHSA-h46v-rmh6-fq4f
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-119189?
CVE-2026-119189 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.9 (MEDIUM). Forge (also called node-forge) is a native implementation of Transport Layer Security in JavaScript. Prior to 1.4.1, node-forge enforced an X.509 CA certificate's basicConstraints.pathLenConstraint on...
How severe is CVE-2026-119189?
CVE-2026-119189 has been rated MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 5.9/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-119189?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Review vendor security bulletins for remediation guidance.