CVE-2024-51744

Bad documentation of error handling in ParseWithClaims can lead to potentially dangerous situations

token, err := /* jwt.Parse or similar */
if token.Valid {
	fmt.Println("You look nice today")
} else if errors.Is(err, jwt.ErrTokenMalformed) {
	fmt.Println("That's not even a token")
} else if errors.Is(err, jwt.ErrTokenUnverifiable) {
	fmt.Println("We could not verify this token")
} else if errors.Is(err, jwt.ErrTokenSignatureInvalid) {
	fmt.Println("This token has an invalid signature")
} else if errors.Is(err, jwt.ErrTokenExpired) || errors.Is(err, jwt.ErrTokenNotValidYet) {
	// Token is either expired or not active yet
	fmt.Println("Timing is everything")
} else {
	fmt.Println("Couldn't handle this token:", err)
}

CVE-2024-51744 has a CVSS score of 3.1 (Low). 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 (4.5.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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We have back-ported the error handling logic from the v5 branch to the v4 branch. In this logic, the ParseWithClaims function will immediately return in "dangerous" situations (e.g., an invalid signature), limiting the combined errors only to situations where the signature is valid, but further validation failed (e.g., if the signature is valid, but is expired AND has the wrong audience). This fix is part of the 4.5.1 release.

1. What is CVE-2024-51744? CVE-2024-51744 is a low-severity security vulnerability in github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4 (go), affecting versions < 4.5.1. It is fixed in 4.5.1.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-51744? CVE-2024-51744 has a CVSS score of 3.1 (Low). 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/golang-jwt/jwt/v4 are affected by CVE-2024-51744? github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4 (go) versions < 4.5.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-51744? Yes. CVE-2024-51744 is fixed in 4.5.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-51744 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-51744 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-2024-51744 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-2024-51744? Upgrade github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4 to 4.5.1 or later.

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v4