CVE-2026-33308

mod_gnutls missing key purpose check in client certificate verification

MEDIUM
5.9
CVSS Score
Published: March 24, 2026 at 01:36 AM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 10:37 AM UTC
2 products affected across 2 vendorsMod GnutlsMod Gnutls

Using mod_gnutls by airtower-luna?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect mod_gnutls - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
MEDIUM5.9
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

Mod_gnutls is a TLS module for Apache HTTPD based on GnuTLS. Prior to version 0.13.0, code for client certificate verification did not check the key purpose as set in the Extended Key Usage extension. An attacker with access to the private key for a valid certificate issued by a CA trusted for TLS client authentication but designated for a different purpose could have used that certificate to improperly access resources requiring TLS client authentication. Server configurations that do not use client certificates (`GnuTLSClientVerify ignore`, the default) are not affected. The problem has been fixed in version 0.13.0 by rewriting certificate verification to use `gnutls_certificate_verify_peers()`, and requiring key purpose id-kp-clientAuth (also known as `tls_www_client` in GnuTLS) by default if the Extended Key Usage extension is present. The new `GnuTLSClientKeyPurpose` option allows overriding the expected key purpose if needed (please see the manual for details). Behavior for certificates without an Extended Key Usage extension is unchanged. If dedicated (sub-)CAs are used for issuing TLS client certificates only (not for any other purposes) the issue has no practical impact.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v < 0.13.0
Affected range stops below 0.13.0, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

References (1)

x_refsource_CONFIRMMitigationVendor Advisory
Source: cverecord
https://github.com/airtower-luna/mod_gnutls/security/advisories/GHSA-hm2g-m958-8qgh

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
HIGH
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
NONE
Availability
NONE
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-295

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card