CVE-2026-33996
LibJWT has NULL/bounds validation in JWK octet and RSA PSS parsing
Description
LibJWT is a C JSON Web Token Library. Starting in version 3.0.0 and prior to version 3.3.0, the JWK parsing for RSA-PSS did not protect against a NULL value when expecting to parse JSON string values. A specially crafted JWK file could exploit this behavior by using integers in places where the code expected a string. This was fixed in v3.3.0. A workaround is available. Users importing keys through a JWK file should not do so from untrusted sources. Use the `jwk2key` tool to check for validity of a JWK file. Likewise, if possible, do not use JWK files with RSA-PSS keys.
INFO
Published Date :
March 27, 2026, 11:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
March 31, 2026, 8:39 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update LibJWT to version 3.3.0 or later.
- Avoid importing JWK files from untrusted sources.
- Use `jwk2key` tool to validate JWK files.
- Avoid JWK files with RSA-PSS keys if possible.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-33996.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/benmcollins/libjwt/commit/cfd890286fa49ae61b534c937c9f0428b5c6034c | Patch |
| https://github.com/benmcollins/libjwt/security/advisories/GHSA-ph96-hqpc-9f66 | Mitigation Vendor Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-33996 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-33996
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-33996 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-33996 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
Mar. 31, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:libjwt:libjwt:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 3.0.0 up to (excluding) 3.3.0 Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/benmcollins/libjwt/commit/cfd890286fa49ae61b534c937c9f0428b5c6034c Types: Patch Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/benmcollins/libjwt/security/advisories/GHSA-ph96-hqpc-9f66 Types: Mitigation, Vendor Advisory -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Mar. 27, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description LibJWT is a C JSON Web Token Library. Starting in version 3.0.0 and prior to version 3.3.0, the JWK parsing for RSA-PSS did not protect against a NULL value when expecting to parse JSON string values. A specially crafted JWK file could exploit this behavior by using integers in places where the code expected a string. This was fixed in v3.3.0. A workaround is available. Users importing keys through a JWK file should not do so from untrusted sources. Use the `jwk2key` tool to check for validity of a JWK file. Likewise, if possible, do not use JWK files with RSA-PSS keys. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:A/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:H/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L/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 Added CWE CWE-476 Added Reference https://github.com/benmcollins/libjwt/commit/cfd890286fa49ae61b534c937c9f0428b5c6034c Added Reference https://github.com/benmcollins/libjwt/security/advisories/GHSA-ph96-hqpc-9f66