Hex trusts its bundled CA certificates when cacerts_path is set
What fixes it
A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.
Description
Improper Certificate Validation vulnerability in hexpm hex allows an attacker who can intercept HTTPS connections, and holds a certificate for a Hex host issued by a CA in Hex's bundled CA store, to impersonate that host to users who set cacerts_path to a CA store that leaves that CA out.
cacerts_path (HEX_CACERTS_PATH) is documented as the path to the CA certificate store, used instead of the CA bundle that ships with Hex. Hex.HTTP.SSL.ssl_opts/1 passes the configured store as the cacerts option, but builds the partial_chain callback from the bundled store whether cacerts_path is set or not. Hex.HTTP.SSL.partial_chain/2 accepts a server chain when any certificate in it has the same public key as a bundled CA certificate, so a chain that leads to a bundled CA passes verification although the configured store doesn't contain that CA. Hostname verification still applies.
This issue affects hex: from 0.20.2 before 2.5.2.
Text from GitHub Advisory Database
Affected versions 3
- hexaffected: 0.20.2 before 2.5.2CVE List
- hexaffected: c9b26a46928bfcd546773571e09c1d05f4cd9fb7 and laterCVE List
- hex, otp>= 0.20.2, < 2.5.2GitHub
References 6
- github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/c9b26a46928bfcd546773571e09c1d05f4cd9fb7Fixvia CVE List
- github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/5f5a2136c7cf5991b6e8a30d645ca9f8e74b0785Fixvia CVE List
- github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/6232a6498015e559743bec4f4fbec9138837cec8Fixvia CVE List
- github.com/hexpm/hex/security/advisories/GHSA-rw8q-hg7m-cxgrAdvisoryvia CVE List
- cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-103503.htmlReferencevia CVE List
- osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-103503Referencevia CVE List