CVE-2026-120459
python-jose through 3.5.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to forge JWTs because HMACKey and CryptographyHMACKey accept zero-length HMAC secrets.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.25%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
python-jose through 3.5.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to forge JWTs because HMACKey and CryptographyHMACKey accept zero-length HMAC secrets. When an application's HS256/HS384/HS512 verification key resolves to empty, such as an oct JWK with empty k, attackers can forge tokens with arbitrary claims that jwt.decode accepts.
- CVSS 4.0
- 9.1 CRITICALCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/M
- EPSS
- 0.25% probability · 17th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-347
- Source
- disclosure@vulncheck.com
EPSS 0.3% since 3 November 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://github.com/mpdavis/python-jose/blob/3.5.0/jose/backends/cryptography_backend.py
- https://github.com/mpdavis/python-jose/blob/3.5.0/jose/backends/native.py
- https://github.com/mpdavis/python-jose/issues/398
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/python-jose-through-3.5.0-authentication-bypass-via-empty-hmac-key
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.