CVE-2026-55165 — Lemur : JWT verifier trusts attacker-supplied alg from token header — defense-in-depth gap; chain-dependent ATO with secret disclosure
Lemur manages TLS certificate creation. Prior to 1.9.2, the JWT verifier in lemur/auth/service.py:130-137 used fetch_token_header to read header_data["alg"] from an unverified token and passed that attacker-controlled value to decode_with_multiple_secrets. PyJWT 2.x rejects alg=none with the configured key, so the flaw is a defense-in-depth gap rather than a direct authentication bypass in the shipped configuration. The unpinned algorithm can become exploitable after an asymmetric-signing migration through algorithm confusion, and it weakens algorithm-based anomaly detection because the token chooses the recorded value. A separate disclosure of LEMUR_TOKEN_SECRET would also permit forged HS256 tokens, although that disclosure is an independent prerequisite. The fix introduces the server-controlled LEMUR_TOKEN_ALGORITHMS allowlist and defaults it to HS256. This issue is fixed in version 1.9.2.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Technical severity (medium)+3
- CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Netflix Lemur).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (cryptography), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 2.2 | 2.5 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 4.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Check TLS negotiations and unexpected certificates in the component’s traffic.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · netflix/lemur
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 4.8
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
3 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-71417 Lemur: Any user can revoke arbitrary certificates at the CA by uploading a duplicate record and revoking it Aug 18, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-71322 Lemur: Missing authorization check on POST /certificates/<id>/export for plugins with requires_key = False Aug 18, 2026
- High CVE-2026-70666 Lemur: Server-Side Request Forgery via the ACME client following server-controlled URLs Aug 18, 2026
- High CVE-2026-71303 Lemur: Incomplete fix for CVE-2026-55166 -- ACME authority update endpoint allows non-admin to replace `acme_url` with internal IP, bypassing allowlist Aug 18, 2026
- High CVE-2026-71307 Lemur: Authenticated low-privilege users can read plaintext destination credentials (SFTP password / private-key passphrase) via the destinations API Aug 18, 2026
- High CVE-2026-71308 Lemur: Unchecked `replaces[]` lets any user silence notifications and hijack auto-rotation for arbitrary certificates Aug 18, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No FIRST EPSS score.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-55165 is "Lemur : JWT verifier trusts attacker-supplied alg from token header — defense-in-depth gap; chain-dependent ATO with secret disclosure", rated Medium. It affects Lemur (Netflix); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 4.8 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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