Forgeable Public/Private Tokens in jws
Affected versions of the jws package allow users to select what algorithm the server will use to verify a provided JWT. A malicious actor can use this behaviour to arbitrarily modify the contents of a JWT while still passing verification. For the common use case of the JWT as a bearer token, the end result is a complete authentication bypass with minimal effort.
Recommendation
Update to version 3.0.0 or later.
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm package | jws | < 3.0.0 | 3.0.0 |
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-1000223
- https://github.com/brianloveswords/node-jws/commit/585d0e1e97b6747c10cf5b7689ccc5618a89b299#diff-4ac32a78649ca5bdd8e0ba38b7006a1e
- https://auth0.com/blog/2015/03/31/critical-vulnerabilities-in-json-web-token-libraries
- https://github.com/brianloveswords/node-jws
- https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:jws:20160726
- https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/88
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
-- Platform
- npm
- Package
jws- Disclosed
- 01.09.2020
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-gjcw-v447-2w7q - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: jws
All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 2
- First → latest
- 09.2020 12.2025
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 2
Disclosures per year
- 2020: 1
- 2021: 0
- 2022: 0
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 1
- 2026: 0
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