A new vulnerability in node-forge’s ASN.1 parser, CVE-2025-12816, creates a dangerous gap in certificate and signature validation. This flaw lets attackers craft ASN.1 structures that are interpreted inconsistently across layers, potentially allowing signature bypasses or acceptance of manipulated certificates.
If your application uses node-forge directly - or pulls it in transitively - and processes certificates, PKCS#12 files, or signed data, you should update immediately.
Understanding the Risk
CVE-2025-12816 stems from an ASN.1 interpretation conflict in versions ≤ 1.3.1 of node-forge. When a crafted ASN.1 structure is parsed, internal schema checks do not consistently enforce the expected layout. Attackers can exploit this to:
- Smuggle malicious fields past validation
- Manipulate certificate or signature verification logic
- Trick trust decisions in PKI-based workflows
Any system that handles untrusted certificate or key material is exposed.
Two related issues - CVE-2025-66031 (deep recursion DoS) and CVE-2025-66030 (OID integer overflow) - were disclosed at the same time. Together, they highlight long-standing fragility in node-forge’s ASN.1 parsing pipeline.
How Resolved Creates and Deploys the Patch
When CVE-2025-12816 was published, Resolved Security’s automated patching engine moved fast - shipping a working fix in under 24 hours. The speed comes from our vulnerability intelligence system, which monitors CVE feeds, GitHub advisories, and upstream vendor patches continuously.
Here’s how the patching pipeline works behind the scenes:
- CVE detection & scanning
As soon as the CVE appears, Resolved scans all monitored codebases - including transitive and nested dependencies - to identify every instance of the vulnerable node-forge version. - Pulling the vendor fix
The engine retrieves the patched release (≥ 1.3.2) and morphs it to fit previous versions. - Building secure drop-in replacements
Patched packages go through full regression testing to ensure functional equivalence with the original library.
The result is a drop-in replacement requiring zero code changes in consuming projects. You get the security value, without paying the upgrade tax. - Automated rollout
With one click, patches are deployed across all affected repositories and environments.
Resolved updates manifests, lockfiles, or vendor directories automatically, then re-scans to confirm all vulnerable versions are fully replaced.
This end-to-end automation compresses what typically takes organizations weeks or months into a same-day fix.
Alternatively, Update
Another available option is to upgrade node-forge to version 1.3.2 or later, as older versions expose systems handling untrusted certificates or signed data to critical vulnerabilities. Rebuilding affected systems can be complex, especially when dealing with widespread usage or legacy code that needs to adopt to use the upgraded package version. Carefully audit chained dependencies, since many packages use node-forge, increasing exposure without obvious signs. Finally, implement continuous scanning to catch new CVEs promptly, reducing the risk of exploitation but requiring ongoing maintenance and vigilance.
Patch Fast and Stay Ahead
The bottom line: CVE-2025-12816 undermines one of the most sensitive parts of your security stack - signature and certificate verification. If your application parses ASN.1 structures, this vulnerability can silently break trust boundaries.
Resolved’s drop-in replacements eliminate the wait for upstream, remove risky parsing behavior, and deploy automatically across your environment.
With a single click, your systems move from vulnerable to verified - no code changes, no downtime.
