Is a client certificate encrypted during the ssl handshake

Question

During an SSL handshake with client authentication, is the client certificate encrypted when it is transmitted by the browser to the server? In other words does the symmetric key exchange occur BEFORE the client certificate is transmitted? I assume it is else a listener could steal the certificate right?

Answer 1

With TLS 1.3 both server and client certificates are encrypted, with TLS 1.2 and lower they are send in clear.

I assume it is else a listener could steal the certificate right?

A certificate is usually not considered secret information. Only the private key matching the public key in the certificate is secret, but this private key is not transmitted.