# CVE-2024-45159: Auth bypass in n/a

> Attackers can bypass TLS client authentication checks in Mbed TLS 3.x when optional authentication is enabled, allowing unauthorized access using certificates not intended for TLS.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 5 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 13 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2024-45159, GHSA-cr54-4mf7-rg5v

## What is CVE-2024-45159?

CVE-2024-45159 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 5 Sep 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An issue was discovered in Mbed TLS 3.x before 3.6.1. With TLS 1.3, when a server enables optional authentication of the client, if the client-provided certificate does not have appropriate values in if keyUsage or extKeyUsage extensions, then the return value of mbedtls_ssl_get_verify_result() would incorrectly have the MBEDTLS_X509_BADCERT_KEY_USAGE and MBEDTLS_X509_BADCERT_KEY_USAGE bits clear. As a result, an attacker that had a certificate valid for uses other than TLS client authentication would nonetheless be able to use it for TLS client authentication. Only TLS 1.3 servers were affected, and only with optional authentication (with required authentication, the handshake would be aborted with a fatal alert).

Weakness: CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-45159?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Trustedfirmware Mbed Tls.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-45159?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2024-45159 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-45159 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2026-34875](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34875/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-49195](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49195/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-45158](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45158/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-45199](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45199/): Mbed TLS 3.2.x through 3.4.x before 3.5 has a Buffer Overflow that can lead to remote Code execution. (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-34873](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34873/): An issue was discovered in Mbed TLS 3.5.0 through 4.0.0. (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-45159 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-45159 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 5 Sep 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-45159 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45159/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45159/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-45159
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-45159
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-45159

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45159/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.