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Release Notes

This page describes changes, security impact, operational impact, and known limitations for NoxTLS 0.2.70.

For source and binary artifacts, see Releases on GitHub.

Use the version dropdown in the navbar to view docs (and release notes) for other versions.

0.2.70​

Release date: 2026-08-12
Release type: Feature + hardening release (security-sensitive TLS/DTLS behavior changes)

Executive Summary​

NoxTLS 0.2.70 focuses on TLS/DTLS robustness and security posture improvements while adding targeted functionality for OEM/security integrations:

  • Multiple TLS 1.2 / TLS 1.3 parser and state-machine hardening updates.
  • Better interop with strict peers and fuzz-style negative cases (BoGo, tlsfuzzer, OpenSSL/curl compatibility paths).
  • New TLS 1.3 exporter API for EAP-TLS style keying material derivation.
  • New streaming AES-CMAC API.
  • New NOXV AES acceleration backend.
  • SDK packaging/install improvements (CMake package export, pkg-config, Homebrew packaging flow).

Security Impact​

What Improved​

  • Handshake validation hardening: tighter checks in TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 certificate/record/handshake flows reduce malformed-message acceptance risk.
  • Record-layer boundary hardening: stricter ciphertext/fragment sizing and alert behavior lower parser ambiguity and reduce downgrade/interoperability edge-case exposure.
  • State-machine hardening: improved version negotiation, alert handling, and session/cipher binding behavior reduce protocol state confusion risk.
  • CertificateVerify robustness: malformed or inconsistent CertificateVerify processing paths were hardened.

Default-Risk Posture Change​

  • Overall default posture is more strict for malformed or ambiguous traffic.
  • Deployments that relied on non-compliant peer behavior may observe earlier handshake failure (by design).

Breaking-Behavior Notes (Security-Driven)​

  • Some previously tolerated malformed handshakes/records now fail fast with explicit alerts.
  • TLS 1.2 CBC and legacy edge flows are more strictly validated.

Protocol and Crypto Changes​

TLS / DTLS Hardening and Interop​

  • Hardened TLS handshake selection and alert behavior for tlsfuzzer/BoGo interop paths.
  • Hardened TLS 1.2 ECDHE verify handling and certificate verify edge conditions.
  • Raised TLS 1.2 ciphertext ceiling handling with explicit record_overflow behavior.
  • Hardened fragmentation, resume cipher binding, and related handshake integrity checks.
  • Improved handling of legacy ClientHello version behaviors and close_notify response patterns.
  • Additional TLS vulnerability hardening landed from fix/tls_0_2_54 payload.
  • Post-RC hardening update: resolved static-analysis findings in TLS 1.3 HRR extension-order validation, TLS 1.2 Finished processing, ECDSA verify flow, and RSA bignum Montgomery path.

TLS 1.3 Exporter​

  • Added noxtls_tls13_export_keying_material(...) (RFC 8446 section 7.5 exporter model).
  • Enables controlled derivation of keying material for upper-layer integrations (for example EAP-TLS ecosystems).

AES-CMAC API​

  • Added streaming AES-CMAC init/update/final API for incremental MAC computation use-cases.

Hardware Acceleration​

  • Added NOXV AES acceleration backend and integration wiring.

Build, Packaging, and Distribution​

  • Added install/export support for SDK-style consumption:
    • CMake package config (NoxTLSConfig.cmake flow)
    • install rules for headers/libs/tools
    • pkg-config metadata (noxtls.pc)
  • Added/updated Homebrew release automation and formula bump workflow hardening.
  • Updated docs and metadata around packaged SDK consumption and versioned docs publication.

Operational Impact for Integrators​

  • Re-run TLS interop matrix against your target clients/servers (especially strict TLS 1.2/TLS 1.3 peers).
  • Re-test certificate validation and CertificateVerify edge paths if you have custom cert handling.
  • Re-test any OEM wrapper code that touches:
    • TLS record parsing assumptions
    • downgrade/version fallback behavior
    • alert routing/telemetry logic
  • For EAP-TLS or key-export consumers, validate exporter label/context conventions and key length assumptions.

Performance/Footprint Expectations​

  • Hardware AES performance can improve on NOXV-enabled targets.
  • Validation hardening may slightly increase negative-path processing checks.
  • Packaging changes do not alter runtime semantics, but they do change install/integration mechanics.

Known Limitations / Open Items​

  • DTLS 1.3 interop hardening remains an active area (ongoing external-suite alignment work).
  • If your deployment depends on permissive handling of malformed peer messages, update peer conformance or adapt policy.

Upgrade and Migration Notes​

  • Treat this as a security-sensitive upgrade: stage in pre-prod first.
  • If pinning API surface, include new TLS 1.3 exporter and CMAC streaming symbols in compatibility checks.
  • If consuming via package managers/build-system exports, verify install paths and package-discovery logic in CI.

Complete Change Inventory (since v0.2.60)​

Non-merge commits included in the 0.2.70 RC line:

  1. 76eca80 - fix: harden TLS vulnerability paths
  2. 208b56e - feat(noxv): add AES accelerator backend
  3. ff2dfcc - docs(release): publish docusaurus docs version 0.2.70
  4. cef2a44 - feat(cmac): add streaming init/update/final API
  5. 3b09eff - fix: Green BoGo handshake paths for client auth and version negotiation
  6. c3bda78 - fix: Harden TLS 1.2 ECDHE verify and BoGo interop paths
  7. 2e76fff - fix: Raise TLS 1.2 ciphertext ceiling and emit record_overflow alerts
  8. 4122afd - fix: Harden fragmentation, resume cipher binding, and ECDSA DER for tlsfuzzer
  9. 49e58b8 - fix: Harden TLS handshake selection and alerts for tlsfuzzer interop
  10. 4c44b41 - Add TLS 1.3 exporter for EAP-TLS key material
  11. c493d68 - ci: harden homebrew formula bump string rewrites
  12. 67e6ae1 - Add CMake install/export and Homebrew tap packaging for 0.2.61
  13. 2243033 - fix: Harden TLS handshake alerts and interop HTTP buffering for tlsfuzzer
  14. 05dfb6c - fix: Honor legacy ClientHello versions and reply to close_notify
  15. 984e59d - Fix https_server multi-connection interop and harden TLS 1.2 CertificateVerify
  16. 9458dd0 - fix: Fixes several downgrade failures found
  17. 807d19e - feat: adds Interop mode to allow for testing

Integrity and Disclosure Notes​

  • This release includes security hardening but does not currently publish CVE IDs in this note set.
  • For coordinated vulnerability reporting, use the security reporting process documented in the project docs.