# CVE-2026-97629: NGINX ngx_http_ssl_module vulnerability

> Remote attackers can bypass client certificate verification in NGINX when specific SSL session cache configurations are used without ticket key rotation.

- **Severity:** High 8.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 29 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2026-97629, AZL-108458, BELL-CVE-2026-97629, BIT-nginx-2026-97629, BIT-nginx-gateway-2026-97629, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97629, ECHO-aacd-6988-b0a8, GHSA-qhwc-5g9q-3669, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-97629

## What is CVE-2026-97629?

CVE-2026-97629 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in F5 NGINX Open Source, published on 14 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Description
When NGINX Plus or NGINX Open Source is configured with ssl_session_cache 

shared:name:size

without an explicit ssl_session_ticket_key file directives to automatically rotate SSL session ticket keys, a remote unauthenticated attacker is able to forge client SSL sessions 

in a non-deterministic manner that is beyond the attacker's control. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to bypass verification of client certificates.

Impact

This vulnerability can lead to the exposure of resources or functionality to unintended actors, possibly providing attackers with access to sensitive information. There is no control plane exposure; this is a data plane issue only.

Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.

Weakness: CWE-908 (Use of Uninitialized Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97629?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including nginx and nginx-gateway.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nginx` | Bitnami | From 0.1.29 | 1.30.6, 1.31.7 |
| `nginx-gateway` | Bitnami | From 0.1.29 | 2.2.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-97629?

Upgrade nginx to a fixed version for your release line: 1.30.6 or 1.31.7.

## Is CVE-2026-97629 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97629 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- CVE-2026-97629 — nginx TLS session-ticket forgery that can bypass client-certificate (mTLS) authentication. Root cause, one-line patch, proof-of-concept exploit and reproduction evidence. Found and disclosed by PhiNode Labs; credited by F5. Fixed in nginx 1.31.7 / 1.30.6. (github_poc): https://github.com/PhiNode-Labs/nginx-cve-2026-97629

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-97629 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-97629 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in F5 NGINX Open Source, published on 14 Oct 2026. 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-2026-97629 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- nginx (Bitnami): affected from 0.1.29; fixed in 1.30.6, 1.31.7
- nginx-gateway (Bitnami): affected from 0.1.29; fixed in 2.2.1

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-2026-97629/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97629/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97629
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97629
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97629

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97629/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.