CVE-2026-53602 Details
Description
nebula-mesh is a self-hosted control plane for Slack Nebula mesh VPN. Prior to version 0.3.7, two related authorization gaps let a host that should no longer be trusted obtain a fresh, valid Nebula certificate, because nebula-mgmt does not re-evaluate revocation/authorization state at certificate issuance time — only at poll time. Firstly, the blocklist is not enforced at sign / re-enroll time. internal/api/enroll.go:128 calls caMgr.Sign(...) without consulting the blocklist. The blocklist is only checked in the poll path (internal/api/updates.go:57, fingerprintInBlocklist). The blocklist is keyed by certificate fingerprint (internal/store/sqlite.go), so a re-enrollment produces a new fingerprint that is not in the blocklist. Secondly, renewal does not re-validate operator / CA status. Auto-renewal at poll time (internal/api/updates.go:285-319, signHostCert) reads host.Name, host.Groups, host.NebulaIPs from the DB and re-signs without checking whether the owning operator is still active or the CA still valid. DisableOperator (internal/store/sqlite_operators.go) revokes sessions and API keys but does not retire the operator's CAs, and pki/signer.go checks only CA cert time-expiry, not operator/CA status. This issue has been patched in version 0.3.7.
A vulnerability in Nebula Mesh VPN's control plane, specifically in versions through 0.3.6, allows untrusted hosts to obtain valid certificates by exploiting authorization gaps in the certificate issuance process. The issue arises because the management server does not properly re-evaluate the revocation status of hosts at the time of certificate signing, only during periodic polls. This flaw enables blocked hosts to receive new certificates that bypass revocation checks, creating a situation where offboarding actions are not effectively enforced. Additionally, the automatic renewal process for certificates fails to verify the current status of operators or Certificate Authorities, allowing hosts to continue renewing certificates even after their operator has been disabled.
The vulnerability has been patched in Nebula Mesh version 0.3.7. Users should update to this version to address the issue.
Metrics
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:
CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:
No data available for CVSS Version 2.0 on this CVE.
Volerion
Assessed Sep 4, 2026CISA-ADP
Assessed Sep 4, 2026References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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| URL | Source(s) | Tag(s) |
|---|---|---|
| https://github.com/forgekeep/nebula-mesh/issues/178 | [email protected] | Issue TrackingTechnical AnalysisVendor |
| https://github.com/forgekeep/nebula-mesh/releases/tag/v0.3.7 | [email protected] | Release NotesVendor |
| https://github.com/forgekeep/nebula-mesh/security/advisories/GHSA-339v-266x-79xr | [email protected] | AdvisoryRemedyVendor |
Weakness Enumeration
| CWE-ID | CWE Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CWE-285 | Improper Authorization | [email protected] |
| CWE-862 | Missing Authorization | [email protected] |
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
| forgekeep nebula-mesh | <= 0.3.6 (semver) |
CPE
Remediation
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Change History
2 change records found show changes
| Date | Action | Recorded By |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 | New CVE Received | [email protected] |
| Sep 4, 2026 | CVE Modified | CISA-ADP |
Volerion