How severe is CVE-2022-23541?

CVE-2022-23541 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.0, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability low.

Is CVE-2022-23541 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (51st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2022-23541?

CVE-2022-23541 affects Auth0 Jsonwebtoken. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2022-23541?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2022-23541 published?

CVE-2022-23541 was published on 2022-12-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2022-23541

CVE-2022-23541 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Auth0 Jsonwebtoken with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (51st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Auth0 Jsonwebtoken
Published: 2022-12-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

jsonwebtoken is an implementation of JSON Web Tokens. Versions `<= 8.5.1` of `jsonwebtoken` library can be misconfigured so that passing a poorly implemented key retrieval function referring to the `secretOrPublicKey` argument from the readme link will result in incorrect verification of tokens. There is a possibility of using a different algorithm and key combination in verification, other than the one that was used to sign the tokens. Specifically, tokens signed with an asymmetric public key could be verified with a symmetric HS256 algorithm. This can lead to successful validation of forged tokens. If your application is supporting usage of both symmetric key and asymmetric key in jwt.verify() implementation with the same key retrieval function. This issue has been patched, please update to version 9.0.0.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-23541?: jsonwebtoken is an implementation of JSON Web Tokens. Versions `<= 8.5.1` of `jsonwebtoken` library can be misconfigured so that passing a poorly implemented key retrieval function referring to the `secretOrPublicKey` argument from the readme link will result in incorrect verification of tokens. There is a possibility of using a different algorithm and key combination in verification, other than the one that was used to sign the tokens. Specifically, tokens signed with an asymmetric public key could be verified with a symmetric HS256 algorithm. This can lead to successful validation of forged tokens. If your application is supporting usage of both symmetric key and asymmetric key in jwt.verify() implementation with the same key retrieval function. This issue has been patched, please update to version 9.0.0.
How severe is CVE-2022-23541?: CVE-2022-23541 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.0, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability low.
Is CVE-2022-23541 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (51st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-23541?: CVE-2022-23541 affects Auth0 Jsonwebtoken. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-23541?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2022-23541 published?: CVE-2022-23541 was published on 2022-12-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:auth0:jsonwebtoken:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Auth0 Jsonwebtoken

CVE-2015-9235 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In jsonwebtoken node module before 4.2.2 it is possible for an attacker to bypass verification when a token digitally…
CVE-2022-23540 — Medium (CVSS 6.4): In versions `<=8.5.1` of `jsonwebtoken` library, lack of algorithm definition in the `jwt.verify()` function can lead…
CVE-2022-23539 — Medium (CVSS 5.9): Versions `<=8.5.1` of `jsonwebtoken` library could be misconfigured so that legacy, insecure key types are used for…

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