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hex_core's default HTTP adapter doesn't verify TLS certificates on OTP 24 and 25

Priority LOW 26CWE-295Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Active
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
Present
Impact type
Spoofing
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · Low · None
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-295.

Summary

Improper Certificate Validation vulnerability in hexpm hex_core allows an attacker who can intercept HTTPS connections to impersonate hex.pm, repo.hex.pm or any other repository or API server to programs that use hex_core's default HTTP adapter on Erlang/OTP 24, or on OTP 25 when the operating system's CA certificates can't be loaded. hex_core:default_config/0 selects the built-in hex_http_httpc adapter. For an HTTPS request whose adapter config has no ssl option, hex_http_httpc:http_options/2 builds options that verify the server certificate against public_key:cacerts_get/0. When that call raises, the adapter prints a warning and sends the request without ssl options, so httpc uses the defaults of the ssl application, which before OTP 26 don't verify the server certificate. public_key:cacerts_get/0 doesn't exist on OTP 24, so every HTTPS request falls back there, and on OTP 25 it raises when no CA store is found. hex_core versions before 0.11.0 never set ssl options, so they don't verify the server certificate on OTP 25 and earlier whether or not a CA store is found. The fallback was intended and documented, but the documentation didn't make clear that it meant no certificate verification. Since hex_core 0.8.2 the README has warned that the built-in httpc adapter "has insecure default settings" and recommended other HTTP clients, and the adapter prints "using default ssl options which are insecure" on every request that falls back. hex_core 0.11.0 added certificate verification with the changelog entry "Use secure SSL defaults for OTP 25+". Neither the README nor the warning says that the server certificate isn't verified, the README doesn't say which OTP versions the warning applies to, and on OTP 25 without CA certificates the warning tells users to upgrade to OTP 25 or later, which they already run. This advisory is published so that users who took those notices as general advice know their HTTPS requests weren't authenticated. This issue affects hex_core: from 0.1.0 before 0.20.0.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00242 15th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed hex_core (hexpm): 0.20.0

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

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
hexpmhex_core0.1.0 to before 0.20.00.20.0Patch availableCNA
  • hex_core Vendorhexpm Affected 0.1.0 to before 0.20.0 Fixed in 0.20.0 Patch available CNA

CPE names CNA · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:hexpm:hex_core:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*———
  • cpe:2.3:a:hexpm:hex_core:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·—

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA hex_core (hexpm) Fixed in 0.20.0

Fixed in the same release

Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.

  • Release ·

    hexpm hex_core 0.20.0

    2 records Highest priority Priority LOW 2 LOW

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2026-71203 Unbounded decompression in hex_core exhausts Erlang VM memoryPriority LOW 12

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-12 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-103502
  2. 2026-10-12 Alias added: GHSA-5rf8-f3v4-rg98
  3. 2026-10-13 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
  4. 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
  5. 2026-10-23 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
  6. 2026-10-23 CVSS score added · Red Hat

References

  • TI-2026-24685 Lockfile checksums not verified in Hex allows dependency integrity bypass CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.9
  • TI-2026-52887 OAuth token exchange grants repository scopes for organizations the principal cannot access CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.3
  • TI-2026-17414 Password Reset Tokens Do Not Expire CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.5
  • TI-2026-59264 Refresh tokens accepted as private repository credentials at the CDN CVSS 4.0LOW 2.3
  • TI-2026-52890 Explicit organization scopes survive token refresh after membership ends CVSS 4.0LOW 2.3
  • TI-2026-17410 Cross-site scripting (XSS) in OAuth Device Authorization screen CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.5
See all 20 →

Sources