CVE-2025-66491: Github.com/traefik/traefik/v3 Traefik Inverted TLS Verification Logic Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-7vww-mvcr-x6vj",
  "modified" : "2025-12-09T16:32:29Z",
  "published" : "2025-12-08T16:43:06Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-66491" ],
  "summary" : "Traefik Inverted TLS Verification Logic in ingress-nginx Provider",
  "details" : "## Impact\n\nThere is a potential vulnerability in Traefik NGINX provider managing the `nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/proxy-ssl-verify` annotation.\n\nThe provider inverts the semantics of the `nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/proxy-ssl-verify` annotation. Setting the annotation to `\"on\"` (intending to enable backend TLS certificate verification) actually disables verification, allowing man-in-the-middle attacks against HTTPS backends when operators believe they are protected.\n\n## Patches\n\n- https://github.com/traefik/traefik/releases/tag/v3.6.3\n\n## For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory, please [open an issue](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/issues).\n\n<details>\n<summary>Original Description</summary>\n\n### Summary\n\nA logic error in Traefik's experimental ingress-nginx provider inverts the semantics of the `nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/proxy-ssl-verify` annotation. Setting the annotation to `\"on\"` (intending to enable backend TLS certificate verification) actually disables verification, allowing man-in-the-middle attacks against HTTPS backends when operators believe they are protected.\n\n### Details\n\nIn `pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/kubernetes.go` at line 512, the `InsecureSkipVerify` field is set using inverted logic:\n\n```go\nnst := &namedServersTransport{\n    Name: provider.Normalize(namespace + \"-\" + name),\n    ServersTransport: &dynamic.ServersTransport{\n        ServerName:         ptr.Deref(cfg.ProxySSLName, ptr.Deref(cfg.ProxySSLServerName, \"\")),\n        InsecureSkipVerify: strings.ToLower(ptr.Deref(cfg.ProxySSLVerify, \"off\")) == \"on\",\n    },\n}\n```\n\nThe expression `== \"on\"` evaluates to `true` when the annotation is `\"on\"`, setting `InsecureSkipVerify: true`. In Go's `crypto/tls`, `InsecureSkipVerify: true` means \"do not verify the server's certificate\" — the opposite of what `proxy-ssl-verify: \"on\"` should do according to NGINX semantics.\n\n**Current behavior:**\n| Annotation Value | InsecureSkipVerify | Actual Result |\n|------------------|-------------------|---------------|\n| `\"on\"` | `true` | Verification **disabled** ❌ |\n| `\"off\"` (default) | `false` | Verification **enabled** |\n\n**Expected behavior (per NGINX semantics):**\n| Annotation Value | InsecureSkipVerify | Expected Result |\n|------------------|-------------------|-----------------|\n| `\"on\"` | `false` | Verification **enabled** |\n| `\"off\"` (default) | `true` | Verification **disabled** |\n\nThe test in `pkg/provider/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/kubernetes_test.go` lines 397-403 confirms this inverted behavior is codified as \"expected\":\n\n```go\nServersTransports: map[string]*dynamic.ServersTransport{\n    \"default-ingress-with-proxy-ssl\": {\n        ServerName:         \"whoami.localhost\",\n        InsecureSkipVerify: true,  // Wrong: should be false when annotation is \"on\"\n        RootCAs:            []types.FileOrContent{\"-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\"},\n    },\n},\n```\n\n**Affected versions:** v3.5.0 through current master (introduced in commit `9bd5c617820f2a8d23b50b68d114bb7bc464eccd`)\n\nPavel Kohout\nAisle Research\n</details>\n\n-",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/traefik/traefik/v3"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.5.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.6.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.6.2"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/traefik/traefik/security/advisories/GHSA-7vww-mvcr-x6vj"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-66491"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/traefik/traefik/commit/14a1aedf5704673d875d210d7bacf103a43c77e4"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/traefik/traefik"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/traefik/traefik/releases/tag/v3.6.3"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-295" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-12-08T16:43:06Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-12-09T01:16:55Z"
  }
}