CVE-2020-15104: In Envoy before versions 1.12.6, 1.13.4, 1.14.4, and 1.15.0 when validating TLS certificates, Envoy would incorrectly allow a wildcard DNS Subject Alternative N

In Envoy before versions 1.12.6, 1.13.4, 1.14.4, and 1.15.0 when validating TLS certificates, Envoy would incorrectly allow a wildcard DNS Subject Alternative N

In Envoy before versions 1.12.6, 1.13.4, 1.14.4, and 1.15.0 when validating TLS certificates, Envoy would incorrectly allow a wildcard DNS Subject Alternative Name apply to multiple subdomains. For example, with a SAN of *.example.com, Envoy would incorrectly allow nested.subdomain.example.com, when it should only allow subdomain.example.com. This defect applies to both validating a client TLS certificate in mTLS, and validating a server TLS certificate for upstream connections. This vulnerability is only applicable to situations where an untrusted entity can obtain a signed wildcard TLS certificate for a domain of which you only intend to trust a subdomain of. For example, if you intend to trust api.mysubdomain.example.com, and an untrusted actor can obtain a signed TLS certificate for *.example.com or *.com. Configurations are vulnerable if they use verify_subject_alt_name in any Envoy version, or if they use match_subject_alt_names in version 1.14 or later. This issue has been fixed in Envoy versions 1.12.6, 1.13.4, 1.14.4, 1.15.0.

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by GitHub

What it means for a small business

If your business uses envoy, install the vendor's update. If you're not sure whether you use it, ask whoever manages your computers.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.25%, higher than 16% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

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Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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