CVE-2026-56665

CVE-2026-56665 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/zitadel/zitadel (go), affecting versions >= 4.0.0-rc.1, < 4.15.2. It is fixed in 4.15.2, 3.4.12.

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Summary

ZITADEL: Missing Token Expiration (exp) Validation in JWT IdP Provider

A token lifecycle validation vulnerability was discovered in ZITADEL's external JWT Identity Provider (IdP) implementation
Specifically, within the validation pipeline, if an incoming JWT omits the exp claim entirely, the expiration block is silently skipped rather than rejected. The token is treated as valid forever.

Per the OIDC Core 1.0 specification, identity token validation pipelines must strictly handle and enforce session expiration. ZITADEL's silent acceptance of tokens missing these temporal constraints compromises session integrity.

Affected Versions

Systems running one of the following versions are affected:

  • 4.x: 4.0.0 through 4.15.1 (including RC versions)
  • 3.x: 3.0.0 through 3.4.11 (including RC versions)

Workarounds

The recommended solution is to update ZITADEL to a patched version.

If an immediate upgrade is not feasible, ensure at the upstream Identity Provider level that an external IdP explicitly includes the exp claim in all signed JWTs.

Publication Note

This issue was originally disclosed as part of a unified security bulletin published under GHSA-wxg7-w2v3-w38g. To satisfy CVE Numbering Authority regulations regarding independently fixable logic flaws, the missing token expiration validation (exp) has been moved into this separate tracking entry so a distinct CVE ID can be correctly mapped to it.

Questions

If there are any questions or comments about this advisory, send an email to [email protected]

Credits

ZITADEL thanks Android-Login-Analysis, Jason Zhou and Pedro Giglioti for reporting this vulnerability.

Impact

An attacker in possession of a token lacking an exp claim holds a permanent credential with no automatic expiration or revocation window.

CVE-2026-56665 has a CVSS score of 4.2 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (4.15.2, 3.4.12); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

github.com/zitadel/zitadel (>= 4.0.0-rc.1, < 4.15.2) github.com/zitadel/zitadel (< 3.4.12)

Security releases

github.com/zitadel/zitadel → 4.15.2 (go) github.com/zitadel/zitadel → 3.4.12 (go)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

The vulnerability has been addressed in the latest releases. ZITADEL now explicitly rejects tokens that lack an exp claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is CVE-2026-56665? CVE-2026-56665 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in github.com/zitadel/zitadel (go), affecting versions >= 4.0.0-rc.1, < 4.15.2. It is fixed in 4.15.2, 3.4.12.
  2. How severe is CVE-2026-56665? CVE-2026-56665 has a CVSS score of 4.2 (Medium). 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/zitadel/zitadel are affected by CVE-2026-56665? github.com/zitadel/zitadel (go) versions >= 4.0.0-rc.1, < 4.15.2 is affected.
  4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-56665? Yes. CVE-2026-56665 is fixed in 4.15.2, 3.4.12. Upgrade to this version or later.
  5. Is CVE-2026-56665 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-56665 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-2026-56665 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-2026-56665?
    • Upgrade github.com/zitadel/zitadel to 4.15.2 or later
    • Upgrade github.com/zitadel/zitadel to 3.4.12 or later

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