9.1
CRITICAL CVSS 3.1
CVE-2026-45363
`jwt` (Ruby gem) - empty-key HMAC bypass
Description

ruby-jwt is a Ruby implementation of the RFC 7519 OAuth JSON Web Token standard. Prior to 2.10.3 and 3.2.0, JWT.decode(token, '', true, algorithm: 'HS256') accepts an attacker-forged token because OpenSSL::HMAC.digest('SHA256', '', payload) returns a valid digest under an empty key and no empty-key precondition exists in the HMAC algorithm. The same path is reached when a keyfinder block or key_finder: argument returns an empty string, nil, or an array containing nil for an unknown key, affecting HS256, HS384, and HS512 verification through JWT.decode and JWT::EncodedToken#verify_signature!. This issue is fixed in versions 2.10.3 and 3.2.0.

INFO

Published Date :

July 14, 2026, 10:16 p.m.

Last Modified :

July 14, 2026, 10:16 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-45363 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Jwt_project jwt
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 CRITICAL [email protected]
CVSS 3.1 CRITICAL MITRE-CVE
Solution
Update ruby-jwt gem to version 2.10.3 or 3.2.0 to fix token verification vulnerability.
  • Update ruby-jwt gem to version 2.10.3.
  • Update ruby-jwt gem to version 3.2.0.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-45363 is associated with the following CWEs:

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-2026-45363 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-45363 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.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Jul. 14, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'vendor': 'jwt', 'product': 'ruby-jwt', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '< 2.10.3'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '>= 3.0.0, < 3.2.0'}]}]
    Added Description ruby-jwt is a Ruby implementation of the RFC 7519 OAuth JSON Web Token standard. Prior to 2.10.3 and 3.2.0, JWT.decode(token, '', true, algorithm: 'HS256') accepts an attacker-forged token because OpenSSL::HMAC.digest('SHA256', '', payload) returns a valid digest under an empty key and no empty-key precondition exists in the HMAC algorithm. The same path is reached when a keyfinder block or key_finder: argument returns an empty string, nil, or an array containing nil for an unknown key, affecting HS256, HS384, and HS512 verification through JWT.decode and JWT::EncodedToken#verify_signature!. This issue is fixed in versions 2.10.3 and 3.2.0.
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
    Added CWE CWE-287
    Added CWE CWE-326
    Added CWE CWE-1391
    Added Reference https://github.com/jwt/ruby-jwt/commit/9820020869ad147b941e49d96ab8beba35532964
    Added Reference https://github.com/jwt/ruby-jwt/commit/db560b769a07bd9724e77ff505011ac01872106f
    Added Reference https://github.com/jwt/ruby-jwt/releases/tag/v2.10.3
    Added Reference https://github.com/jwt/ruby-jwt/releases/tag/v3.2.0
    Added Reference https://github.com/jwt/ruby-jwt/security/advisories/GHSA-c32j-vqhx-rx3x
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.