# CVE-2026-32144: OCSP designated-responder authorization bypass via missing signature verification

> Attackers can bypass OCSP revocation checks by forging responses, allowing connections to servers with revoked certificates and potential data exposure.

- **Severity:** High 7.6 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 7 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 24 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-32144, EEF-CVE-2026-32144, GHSA-gxrm-pf64-99xm, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-32144

## What is CVE-2026-32144?

CVE-2026-32144 is a high-severity vulnerability in Erlang OTP, published on 7 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Improper Certificate Validation vulnerability in Erlang OTP public_key (pubkey_ocsp module) allows OCSP designated-responder authorization bypass via missing signature verification.

The OCSP response validation in public_key:pkix_ocsp_validate/5 does not verify that a CA-designated responder certificate was cryptographically signed by the issuing CA. Instead, it only checks that the responder certificate's issuer name matches the CA's subject name and that the certificate has the OCSPSigning extended key usage. An attacker who can intercept or control OCSP responses can create a self-signed certificate with a matching issuer name and the OCSPSigning EKU, and use it to forge OCSP responses that mark revoked certificates as valid.

This affects SSL/TLS clients using OCSP stapling, which may accept connections to servers with revoked certificates, potentially transmitting sensitive data to compromised servers. Applications using the public_key:pkix_ocsp_validate/5 API directly are also affected, with impact depending on usage context.

This vulnerability is associated with program files lib/public_key/src/pubkey_ocsp.erl and program routines pubkey_ocsp:is_authorized_responder/3.

This issue affects OTP from OTP 27.0 before OTP 28.4.2 and OTP 27.3.4.10, corresponding to public_key from 1.16 before 1.20.3 and 1.17.1.2, and ssl from 11.2 before 11.5.4 and 11.2.12.7.

Weakness: CWE-347 (Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature), CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-32144?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Erlang Erlang\/Otp, Erlang Erlang\/Public Key, Erlang Erlang\/Ssl.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-32144?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-32144 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-32144 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Erlang OTP

- [CVE-2022-37026](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-37026/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-10253](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10253/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-55953](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-55953/): TLS 1.2 and DTLS client accepts unoffered anonymous cipher suite, bypassing server authentication (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-49759](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49759/): Stack buffer overflow in SCTP error cause parsing in inet_drv allows remote VM crash (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-58227](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58227/): TLS/DTLS denial of service via unbounded recursion on cross-signed peer certificate chain (high 8.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-32144 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-32144 is a high-severity vulnerability in Erlang OTP, published on 7 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-32144 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Erlang OTP. 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-2026-32144/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32144/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-32144
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32144
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-32144

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32144/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.