diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fcdf304..9a21dc9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ The Android library has no third-party dependencies — the Kotlin standard libr
 else. No permissions. No Google Play requirement. `minSdk 24`.
 
 ```kotlin
-implementation("io.github.rootect:rootect-core:1.1.0")
+implementation("io.github.rootect:rootect-core:1.2.0")
 ```
 
 ```kotlin
diff --git a/docs/integration.md b/docs/integration.md
index 279ec9a..7d67b68 100644
--- a/docs/integration.md
+++ b/docs/integration.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ worth against a real attacker, see [threat-model.md](threat-model.md).
 ```kotlin
 // build.gradle.kts
 dependencies {
-    implementation("io.github.rootect:rootect-core:1.1.0")
+    implementation("io.github.rootect:rootect-core:1.2.0")
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 0b913ed..6f1e124 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ android.useAndroidX=true
 
 # Single source for the published coordinates. Bumping here is the whole release step.
 GROUP=io.github.rootect
-VERSION_NAME=1.1.0
+VERSION_NAME=1.2.0
 
 # Enabled parallel sync for Gradle 9.4+
 org.gradle.tooling.parallel=true
diff --git a/rootect-core/src/main/kotlin/io/github/rootect/internal/attest/HardwareAttestation.kt b/rootect-core/src/main/kotlin/io/github/rootect/internal/attest/HardwareAttestation.kt
index f5c84da..68bffe3 100644
--- a/rootect-core/src/main/kotlin/io/github/rootect/internal/attest/HardwareAttestation.kt
+++ b/rootect-core/src/main/kotlin/io/github/rootect/internal/attest/HardwareAttestation.kt
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ internal object HardwareAttestation {
     private const val BOOT_STATE_SELF_SIGNED = 1
     private const val BOOT_STATE_FAILED = 3
     private const val CHALLENGE_SIZE = 32
+    private const val MAX_EXTENSION_BYTES = 64 * 1024
 
     /** What the attestation record said, or null if it could not be parsed. */
     data class Result(
@@ -62,12 +63,19 @@ internal object HardwareAttestation {
     }
 
     internal fun parseChain(chain: List<X509Certificate>, challenge: ByteArray): Result? {
-        if (challenge.size != CHALLENGE_SIZE || chain.isEmpty()) return null
-        val hasExtension = chain.map {
-            runCatching { it.getExtensionValue(ATTESTATION_OID) != null }.getOrDefault(false)
-        }
-        if (!hasExtension.first() || hasExtension.drop(1).any { it }) return null
-        val parsed = parse(chain.first()) ?: return null
+        if (chain.size !in 1..8) return null
+        val extensions = runCatching { chain.map { it.getExtensionValue(ATTESTATION_OID) } }
+            .getOrNull() ?: return null
+        return parseChainExtensions(extensions, challenge)
+    }
+
+    // Android returns leaf first. Select the extension nearest the root; a descendant
+    // can contain an attacker-added extension. This does not authenticate the chain.
+    internal fun parseChainExtensions(extensions: List<ByteArray?>, challenge: ByteArray): Result? {
+        if (challenge.size != CHALLENGE_SIZE || extensions.size !in 1..8) return null
+        val raw = extensions.lastOrNull { it != null } ?: return null
+        if (raw.size > MAX_EXTENSION_BYTES) return null
+        val parsed = parseExtension(raw) ?: return null
         return parsed.takeIf { it.challenge.contentEquals(challenge) }
     }
 
@@ -107,12 +115,6 @@ internal object HardwareAttestation {
         }
     }
 
-    /** Pulls the security level and root of trust out of the attestation extension. */
-    private fun parse(cert: X509Certificate): Result? {
-        val raw = cert.getExtensionValue(ATTESTATION_OID) ?: return null
-        return parseExtension(raw)
-    }
-
     internal fun parseExtension(raw: ByteArray): Result? {
         // The extension value is an OCTET STRING wrapping the real KeyDescription.
         val inner = Der(raw).next()?.reader()?.next() ?: return null
diff --git a/rootect-core/src/test/kotlin/io/github/rootect/internal/attest/HardwareAttestationTest.kt b/rootect-core/src/test/kotlin/io/github/rootect/internal/attest/HardwareAttestationTest.kt
index 95c35b2..9129b5c 100644
--- a/rootect-core/src/test/kotlin/io/github/rootect/internal/attest/HardwareAttestationTest.kt
+++ b/rootect-core/src/test/kotlin/io/github/rootect/internal/attest/HardwareAttestationTest.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,41 @@ import org.junit.Test
 
 class HardwareAttestationTest {
 
+    private val challenge = ByteArray(32) { it.toByte() }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `extension need not be in the leaf`() {
+        val result = HardwareAttestation.parseChainExtensions(
+            listOf(null, keyDescription(1, 1, true), null), challenge,
+        )
+        assertEquals(1, result!!.securityLevel)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `descendant extension cannot override ancestor`() {
+        val result = HardwareAttestation.parseChainExtensions(
+            listOf(keyDescription(2, 2, true), keyDescription(0, 0, false), null), challenge,
+        )
+        assertTrue(result!!.isSoftwareOnly)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `malformed ancestor cannot fall back to valid leaf`() {
+        assertNull(HardwareAttestation.parseChainExtensions(
+            listOf(keyDescription(1, 1, true), byteArrayOf(4, 0), null), challenge,
+        ))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `wrong challenge and missing extension are unknown`() {
+        assertNull(HardwareAttestation.parseChainExtensions(
+            listOf(keyDescription(1, 1, true)), ByteArray(32),
+        ))
+        assertNull(HardwareAttestation.parseChainExtensions(listOf(null, null), challenge))
+        assertNull(HardwareAttestation.parseChainExtensions(emptyList(), challenge))
+        assertNull(HardwareAttestation.parseChainExtensions(List(9) { null }, challenge))
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `software-only record remains usable without root of trust`() {
         val result = HardwareAttestation.parseExtension(keyDescription(0, 0, withRoot = false))