uTLS has a Chrome Parrot Fingerprint Vulnerability due to GREASE ECH Cipher Suite Mismatch
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
- Attack complexity
- High
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
uTLS is a fork of crypto/tls, created to customize ClientHello for fingerprinting resistance while still using it for the handshake. Versions 1.6.0 through 1.8.0 contain a fingerprint mismatch with Chrome when using GREASE ECH, related to cipher suite selection. When Chrome selects the preferred cipher suite in the outer ClientHello and for ECH, it does so consistently based on hardware support—for example, if it prefers AES for the outer cipher suite, it also uses AES for ECH. However, the Chrome parrot in uTLS hardcodes AES preference for outer cipher suites but selects the ECH cipher suite randomly between AES and ChaCha20. This creates a 50% chance of selecting ChaCha20 for ECH while using AES for the outer cipher suite, a combination impossible in Chrome. This issue only affects GREASE ECH; in real ECH, Chrome selects the first valid cipher suite when AES is preferred, which uTLS handles correctly. This issue has been fixed in version 1.8.1.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| refraction-networking | utls | 1.6.0 to before 1.8.1 | 1.8.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | github.com/refraction-networking/utls (Go) | 1.6.0 to before 1.8.1 | 1.8.1 | Patch available | GHSA-7m29-f4hw-g2vx |
- utls Vendorrefraction-networking Affected 1.6.0 to before 1.8.1 Fixed in 1.8.1 Patch available CNA
- github.com/refraction-networking/utls (Go) Vendor— Affected 1.6.0 to before 1.8.1 Fixed in 1.8.1 Patch available GHSA-7m29-f4hw-g2vx
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:refraction-networking:utls:*:*:*:*:*:go:*:* | 1.6.0 to before 1.8.1 | Vulnerable | refraction-networking |
- cpe:2.3:a:refraction-networking:utls:*:*:*:*:*:go:*:* Versions 1.6.0 to before 1.8.1 Vulnerable ·refraction-networking
Remediation
- Fix · CNA utls (refraction-networking) Fixed in 1.8.1
- Fix · GHSA-7m29-f4hw-g2vx github.com/refraction-networking/utls (Go) Fixed in 1.8.1 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-27017
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-7m29-f4hw-g2vx
References
More refraction-networking Utls vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-21473 uTLS ServerHellos are accepted without checking TLS 1.3 downgrade canaries CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
Sources
- CVE-2026-27017 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-27017 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7m29-f4hw-g2vx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-27017 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences