CVE-2026-73253

Mongoose: TLS Hostname Verification Bypass via Overly Permissive Wildcard Matching

Published Aug 20, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 9.1 Critical EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Mongoose is an embedded web server and network library. Prior to version 7.22, an on-path network attacker with a wildcard certificate for a parent domain can impersonate deeper subdomains to a client using the built-in TLS stack. The mg_tls_verify_cert_san() and mg_tls_verify_cert_cn() functions in src/tls_builtin.c call mg_match(), whose wildcard can cross DNS label boundaries, so a pattern such as *.example.com can match foo.bar.example.com. The resulting hostname verification bypass permits interception and modification of TLS traffic. This issue is fixed in version 7.22.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:cesanta:mongoose:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 9.1, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Cesanta
Cesanta mongoose
Vendors & Products Cesanta
Cesanta mongoose
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Mongoose is an embedded web server and network library. Prior to version 7.22, an on-path network attacker with a wildcard certificate for a parent domain can impersonate deeper subdomains to a client using the built-in TLS stack. The mg_tls_verify_cert_san() and mg_tls_verify_cert_cn() functions in src/tls_builtin.c call mg_match(), whose wildcard can cross DNS label boundaries, so a pattern such as *.example.com can match foo.bar.example.com. The resulting hostname verification bypass permits interception and modification of TLS traffic. This issue is fixed in version 7.22.
Title Mongoose: TLS Hostname Verification Bypass via Overly Permissive Wildcard Matching
Weaknesses CWE-295
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 9.1, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Aug 20, 2026, 6:36 PM
Reserved
Aug 11, 2026, 5:18 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Aug 20, 2026, 6:16 PM
Modified
Oct 18, 2026, 8:10 PM