CVE-2020-37281
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 Default JWT Secret Authentication Bypass
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user by forging JWTs signed with the shipped default jwt.secret. Attackers knowing an existing user ID can sign an HS256 token with that subject and present it as a bearer token to the Management API, impersonating administrators to gain full platform control.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
9.2
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 Default JWT Secret Authentication Bypass
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user by forging JWTs signed with the shipped default jwt.secret. Attackers knowing an existing user ID can sign an HS256 token with that subject and present it as a bearer token to the Management API, impersonating administrators to gain full platform control.
- Record
CVE-2020-37281- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-1394
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-31280
9.2
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user by forging JWTs signed with the shipped default jwt.secret. Attackers knowing an existing user ID can sign an HS256 token with that subject and present it as a bearer token to the Management API, impersonating administrators to gain full platform control.
- Record
EUVD-2020-31280- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-vh3j-3qjc-g47j
9.2
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that...
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user by forging JWTs signed with the shipped default jwt.secret. Attackers knowing an existing user ID can sign an HS256 token with that subject and present it as a bearer token to the Management API, impersonating administrators to gain full platform control.
- Record
GHSA-vh3j-3qjc-g47j- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-1394
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
9.2
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user by forging JWTs signed with the shipped default jwt.secret. Attackers knowing an existing user ID can sign an HS256 token with that subject and present it as a bearer token to the Management API, impersonating administrators to gain full platform control.
- Record
CVE-2020-37281- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-1394
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
9.2
Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user by forging JWTs signed with the shipped default jwt.secret. Attackers knowing an existing user ID can sign an HS256 token with that subject and present it as a bearer token to the Management API, impersonating administrators to gain full platform control.
- Record
CVE-2020-37281- CVSS 4.0
- 9.2 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-37281 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.2) in Gravitee Api Management, published October 14, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.88%, the 59th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
github.com/gravitee-io/issues/issues/4204
github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/gravitee-apim-rest-api/gravitee-apim-rest-api-standalone/gravitee-apim-rest-api-standalone-distribution/src/main/resources/config/gravitee.yml
github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/gravitee-apim-rest-api/gravitee-apim-rest-api-management/gravitee-apim-rest-api-management-security/src/main/java/io/gravitee/rest/api/management/security/config/BasicSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java
github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/helm/values.yaml
github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-docs/blob/master/pages/apim/3.x/how-tos/how-to-general-configuration.adoc
vulncheck.com/advisories/gravitee-api-management-through-4.12.22-default-jwt-secret-authentication-bypass
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-37281
github.com/advisories/GHSA-vh3j-3qjc-g47j