CVE-2018-0114

HIGH

Cisco node-jose < 0.11.0 - Unauthenticated Token Re-signing via Embedded Public Key

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

EIP tracks 15 public exploits for CVE-2018-0114. PoCs published by zioBlack, z-bool, zi0Black.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This exploit generates a malicious JWT token for CVE-2018-0114, leveraging a vulnerability in Cisco node-jose <0.11.0 to forge a signed token with arbitrary payloads. It uses RSA key generation and signing to bypass authentication mechanisms.

Description

A vulnerability in the Cisco node-jose open source library before 0.11.0 could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to re-sign tokens using a key that is embedded within the token. The vulnerability is due to node-jose following the JSON Web Signature (JWS) standard for JSON Web Tokens (JWTs). This standard specifies that a JSON Web Key (JWK) representing a public key can be embedded within the header of a JWS. This public key is then trusted for verification. An attacker could exploit this by forging valid JWS objects by removing the original signature, adding a new public key to the header, and then signing the object using the (attacker-owned) private key associated with the public key embedded in that JWS header.

Exploits (15)

exploitdb WORKING POC
by zioBlack · pythonwebappsmultiple
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44324

This exploit generates a malicious JWT token for CVE-2018-0114, leveraging a vulnerability in Cisco node-jose <0.11.0 to forge a signed token with arbitrary payloads. It uses RSA key generation and signing to bypass authentication mechanisms.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cisco node-jose <0.11.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 3 · rsa library
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 282 stars
by z-bool · poc
https://github.com/z-bool/Venom-JWT

This repository contains a Go-based tool for testing and exploiting various JWT vulnerabilities, including CVE-2020-28042 (empty signature attack). It supports multiple attack modes such as modifying the algorithm to 'none', signature validation bypass, and key injection.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Applications using JWT for authentication
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Valid JWT token from the target application
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 25 stars
by zi0Black · poc
https://github.com/zi0Black/POC-CVE-2018-0114

This PoC exploits CVE-2018-0114 in the Cisco node-jose library by embedding a public key in the JWT header and re-signing the token with the corresponding private key, allowing token forgery. The script generates RSA key pairs, crafts a malicious JWT, and signs it to bypass verification.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: node-jose < 0.11.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 3 · rsa library · base64 library
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP 4 stars
by j4k0m · poc
https://github.com/j4k0m/CVE-2018-0114

This repository provides a detailed explanation and steps for exploiting CVE-2018-0114, a vulnerability in Cisco's node-jose library that allows JWT token forgery by embedding public keys in the token header. It includes technical details and references to external resources for further understanding.

Classification
Writeup 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cisco node-jose < 0.11
No auth needed
Prerequisites: OpenSSL for key generation · Understanding of JWT structure
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 3 stars
by scumdestroy · poc
https://github.com/scumdestroy/CVE-2018-0114

This exploit leverages CVE-2018-0114 in the node-jose library by embedding a public key in the JWT header and signing the token with the corresponding private key, allowing an attacker to forge valid JWS objects.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: node-jose < 0.11.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Private key for signing · Victim username
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by Eremiel · poc
https://github.com/Eremiel/CVE-2018-0114

This PoC exploits CVE-2018-0114 in the Cisco node-jose library by embedding a public key in the JWT header and signing the token with the corresponding private key, allowing token re-signing. It generates a forged JWT token with attacker-controlled payloads.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cisco node-jose <0.11.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 2.7 · rsa library · base64 library · urllib library
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by fevra-dev · poc
https://github.com/fevra-dev/ClaimJumper

This repository contains a comprehensive JWT security testing toolkit with functional exploit code for multiple CVEs, including CVE-2018-0114 (Key Injection). It includes modules for JWT analysis, cracking, forging, and advanced attacks like algorithm confusion and psychic signatures.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: JWT libraries (e.g., node-jose)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: JWT token · access to target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Mar 10, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by adityathebe · poc
https://github.com/adityathebe/POC-CVE-2018-0114

This PoC demonstrates CVE-2018-0114 by generating a malicious JWT with an embedded public key in the header, allowing an attacker to re-sign tokens using their own key pair. It creates a valid JWS object by embedding a public key in the header and signing it with the corresponding private key.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cisco node-jose library before 0.11.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Go environment to run the PoC · Target system using vulnerable node-jose library
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by sealldeveloper · poc
https://github.com/sealldeveloper/CVE-2018-0114-PoC

This PoC demonstrates a JWT authentication bypass vulnerability (CVE-2018-0114) by generating a malicious JWT token with a self-signed RSA key. It exploits weak key validation in the target system to forge an admin token.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Systems using JWT with improper RSA key validation (e.g., Cisco products affected by CVE-2018-0114)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Python 3.x · PyCryptodome · cryptography · PyJWT libraries
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by n0m-d · poc
https://github.com/n0m-d/CVE-2018-0114-Go

This repository contains a Go-based proof-of-concept for CVE-2018-0114, which exploits a JWT authentication bypass vulnerability by embedding a public key in the JWT header and signing the token with a corresponding private key. The tool generates a malicious JWT token with arbitrary claims (e.g., 'admin') to demonstrate the vulnerability.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Systems using vulnerable JWT libraries (e.g., certain versions of Auth0, Firebase, or other JWT implementations)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Vulnerable JWT library that accepts embedded public keys in the header · Ability to send crafted JWT tokens to the target system
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by amr9k8 · poc
https://github.com/amr9k8/jwt-spoof-tool

This repository contains a Python-based tool that exploits CVE-2018-0114, a JWT authentication bypass vulnerability. The tool automates the generation of malicious JWT tokens by injecting attacker-controlled public keys into the JWT header, allowing arbitrary claims to be signed and verified by the server.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Systems using JWT with embedded JWK for verification (e.g., Cisco products affected by CVE-2018-0114)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: A vulnerable JWT token with embedded JWK in the header · Ability to intercept/modify JWT tokens
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by Pandora-research · poc
https://github.com/Pandora-research/CVE-2018-0114-Exploit

This PoC exploits CVE-2018-0114 by embedding a public key in the JWT header and re-signing the token with the corresponding private key, bypassing authentication. It generates a new RSA key pair and crafts a malicious JWT token.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cisco node-jose library before 0.11.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable system using the node-jose library
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by mmeza-developer · poc
https://github.com/mmeza-developer/CVE-2018-0114

This PoC demonstrates JWT (JSON Web Token) exploitation techniques, specifically targeting CVE-2018-0114 by manipulating JWT headers and payloads using various methods (jwk, jku, x5c). It includes functions to generate RSA keys, certificates, and craft malicious JWTs for potential authentication bypass.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Systems using JWT with vulnerable implementations (e.g., certain versions of libraries or frameworks)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable JWT-based authentication system · Ability to generate RSA keys and certificates
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by Starry-lord · poc
https://github.com/Starry-lord/CVE-2018-0114

This PoC exploits CVE-2018-0114, a vulnerability in Cisco's node-jose library before 0.11.0, allowing an unauthenticated remote attacker to re-sign tokens using an embedded key. The script generates a malicious JWT token with an embedded public key, demonstrating the authentication bypass.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cisco node-jose < 0.11.0
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable node-jose implementation
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC
by Logeirs · poc
https://github.com/Logeirs/CVE-2018-0114

This PoC exploits CVE-2018-0114 by crafting a malicious JWT token with embedded RSA public key parameters, allowing an attacker to bypass authentication. It generates or loads RSA keys, encodes them, and signs a payload to create a forged JWT.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Systems using JWT with embedded RSA public keys (e.g., certain Cisco products)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to generate or provide RSA keys · Target system vulnerable to JWT key confusion
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →

References (5)

Core 5
Core References
Patch, Vendor Advisory x_refsource_confirm
https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/viewAlert.x?alertId=56326
Exploit, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://github.com/zi0Black/POC-CVE-2018-0114
Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry exploit x_refsource_exploit-db
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44324/
Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry vdb-entry x_refsource_bid
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102445

Scores

CVSS v3 7.5
EPSS 0.8469
EPSS Percentile 99.4%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation poc
Automatable yes
Technical Impact partial

Details

CWE
CWE-347
Status published
Products (2)
cisco/node-jose < 0.11.0
npm/node-jose 0 - 0.11.0npm
Published Jan 04, 2018
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026