CVE-2026-120459
python-jose through 3.5.0 Authentication Bypass via Empty HMAC Key
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.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
python-jose through 3.5.0 Authentication Bypass via Empty HMAC Key
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.
- Record
CVE-2026-120459- CVSS 4.0
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-347
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-115219
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.
- Record
EUVD-2026-115219- CVSS 4.0
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-7jv8-hwmh-86qc
python-jose through 3.5.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows...
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.
- Record
GHSA-7jv8-hwmh-86qc- CVSS 4.0
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS: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/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
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-347
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
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.
- Record
CVE-2026-120459- CVSS 4.0
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS: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/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
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-347
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSV
python-jose through 3.5.0 Authentication Bypass via Empty HMAC Key
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.
- Record
CVE-2026-120459- CVSS 4.0
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-347
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
OSVUBUNTU-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. 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.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-120459- CVSS 4.0
- 9.1 Critical
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.4 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-05
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
python-joseUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.3.0+dfsg-1 |
None known |
python-joseUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.3.0+dfsg-4 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, aliases, references | OSV | |
| facts | EUVD, OSV | |
| references | NVD, OSV | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-120459 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.1) in Mpdavis Python-jose, published November 2, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.25%, the 16th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
github.com/mpdavis/python-jose/issues/398
vulncheck.com/advisories/python-jose-through-3.5.0-authentication-bypass-via-empty-hmac-key
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-120459