Cisco node-jose improper validation of JWT signature

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

7.5 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2018-0114: 42.65% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.71 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

A vulnerability in the Cisco node-jose open source library before 0.11.0 could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to re-sign tokens using a key that is embedded within the token. The vulnerability is due to node-jose following the JSON Web Signature (JWS) standard for JSON Web Tokens (JWTs). This standard specifies that a JSON Web Key (JWK) representing a public key can be embedded within the header of a JWS. This public key is then trusted for verification. An attacker could exploit this by forging valid JWS objects by removing the original signature, adding a new public key to the header, and then signing the object using the (attacker-owned) private key associated with the public key embedded in that JWS header.

Published by the source

13 May 2022, 01:17 UTC

Last modified by the source

8 Nov 2023, 03:59 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:26 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-jfxm-w8g2-4rcv

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-jfxm-w8g2-4rcv

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2018-0114

Advisory: Cisco node-jose improper validation of JWT signature
IDs: CVE-2018-0114, GHSA-jfxm-w8g2-4rcv
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2018-0114 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:26 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: node-jose 0.11.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm node-jose: affected < 0.11.0; fixed in 0.11.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls node-jose --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on node-jose.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-jfxm-w8g2-4rcv (OSV record GHSA-jfxm-w8g2-4rcv lists affected ranges: npm node-jose >=0 <0.11.0 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jfxm-w8g2-4rcv (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-jfxm-w8g2-4rcv lists affected ranges: npm node-jose >=0 <0.11.0)

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