CVE-2026-102946
Description
A flaw was found in joserfc. When processing a JSON Web Signature (JWS) in General JSON Serialization format, the library improperly treats tokens containing an empty signatures list as valid. A remote attacker without a valid signing key can exploit this flaw by submitting an arbitrary payload with an empty signatures array, bypassing signature verification and causing applications to treat untrusted data as authentic.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as having Critical impact because it permits an unauthenticated remote attacker to completely bypass cryptographic verification without possessing valid signing keys, compromising data integrity and trust. By presenting crafted objects omitting cryptographic signatures, callers parsing general serializations mistakenly treat fabricated payloads as authentic. Exposure is limited to application workflows utilizing the general JSON serialization mechanism, while standard compact token decodings such as JSON Web Tokens (JWT) are not susceptible.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.5 | N/A | 9.1 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Access Control,Integrity,Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; Modify Application Data; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
An attacker could gain access to sensitive data and possibly execute unauthorized code.
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