Uncaught Exception Affecting node-forge package, versions <1.4.3

node-forge is a JavaScript implementations of network transports, cryptography, ciphers, PKI, message digests, and various utilities.

Affected versions of this package are vulnerable to Uncaught Exception via tls.parseHelloMessage() in lib/tls.js, which stores the ServerHello's compression_method without validating it against the methods offered in the ClientHello. When the client subsequently handles ServerHelloDone, tls.createConnectionState() throws an uncaught Error('Unsupported compression algorithm.') for any compression method other than null (0) or deflate (1). Because the ServerHello is not yet authenticated at this point, a malicious server or an on-path attacker can set the compression byte to an unsupported value, causing connection.process() to throw and terminating the Node.js process in applications that do not catch the exception - including those using forge.tls.wrapSocket or forge.http.

Catch exceptions thrown by connection.process() and close the socket.

A server (or on-path attacker) sends a ServerHello with `compression_method` 0xff, followed by a valid Certificate and ServerHelloDone:

    client.handshake();
    client.process(serverHello + certificate + serverHelloDone);
    // <= 1.4.2: throws Error: Unsupported compression algorithm.
    // 1.4.3: error callback with "Unsupported compression method."

The reporter's PoC (a CA-issued server certificate and the default verify callback) is in tests/pocs/ghsa-w4xr-hqv8-ch44.js, and regression tests are in tests/unit/tls.js.

• GitHub Advisory
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• GitHub PR
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