In jose4j before 0.9.6, an attacker can cause a Denial-of-Service (DoS) condition by crafting a malicious JSON Web Encryption (JWE) token with an exceptionally high compression ratio. When this token is processed by the server, it results in significant memory allocation and processing time during decompression. The CVSS score of 7.5 indicates a high severity level, meaning that organizations using this library should take immediate action to mitigate the risk.
Risk to organizations includes potential service disruptions and resource exhaustion, which could lead to downtime or degraded performance. Given the high exploitability and potential impact, organizations should prioritize patching immediately.
Currently, there are no known public exploits available for this vulnerability, but the potential for exploitation remains high, especially if organizations neglect to apply the necessary updates. Regular security assessments and vulnerability management practices can help identify and remediate such vulnerabilities promptly.
Organizations using the jose4j library must take proactive steps to address this vulnerability to ensure their systems remain secure and operational.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability described in CVE-2024-29371 affects the jose4j library from the jose4j_project. This library is used for handling JSON Web Encryption (JWE) tokens. The specific issue arises from the ability of an attacker to craft a malicious JWE token that can lead to a Denial-of-Service condition due to excessive resource consumption during token processing.
The CVSS score of 7.5 highlights the severity of the vulnerability, indicating that it poses a significant risk to availability. Organizations must take this score seriously, as the potential impact on operations can be substantial.
Published on December 17, 2025, the vulnerability has been classified under CWE-1259, which pertains to Denial-of-Service vulnerabilities. Organizations utilizing affected versions of the jose4j library should immediately evaluate their systems for exposure and implement necessary patches.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2024-29371 is the handling of JWE tokens that possess an exceptionally high compression ratio. When the server attempts to decompress such tokens, it leads to significant memory allocation and processing overhead. This exploitation can be initiated remotely, making it a network-level attack vector.
The attack complexity is classified as low, meaning that the likelihood of exploitation is high. No privileges are required for the attacker, and user interaction is not necessary. The attack primarily targets the availability of the affected service.
Confidentiality and integrity impacts are assessed as none, but the availability impact is high, indicating a serious risk of service disruption. Organizations must be aware of these factors when assessing their risk exposure.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The real-world deployment risk associated with CVE-2024-29371 is significant. Organizations using the jose4j library must consider the operational impact of potential Denial-of-Service attacks. The ability for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability remotely increases the urgency for organizations to act.
The blast radius for this vulnerability includes any services that depend on the jose4j library for processing JWE tokens. The potential for cascading failures is a critical concern, making this a priority for security teams.
Given the CVSS score of 7.5, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle. Immediate remediation will help mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The vulnerability affects all versions of the jose4j library prior to 0.9.6. Organizations should ensure they are using the patched versions to avoid the risk associated with this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize upgrading to the latest version of the jose4j library to mitigate the DoS vulnerability. The recommended version to upgrade to is 0.9.6 or later. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider implementing configuration hardening and network controls to limit the attack surface until the upgrade can be performed.
Monitoring for unusual behavior related to resource consumption can help identify potential exploitation attempts. For further guidance on security practices, organizations may want to consult resources on penetration testing to assess their security posture.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should implement monitoring to detect signs of abnormal resource usage and potential DoS attacks. Log indicators to watch for include excessive memory allocation and processing time during JWE token handling. Behavioral anomalies that deviate from normal operating patterns should also be investigated.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The CVE-2024-29371 vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices, particularly in libraries that handle cryptographic materials like JWE tokens. The trend of resource exhaustion vulnerabilities is significant; thus, organizations should adopt comprehensive security assessments and regular vulnerability scanning as part of their security program.
Security teams should be aware of similar patterns in other libraries and frameworks that may also expose services to resource exhaustion risks. For further reading on vulnerability management, organizations can explore the vulnerability management program to strengthen their overall security posture.
Organizations should also consider the implications of integrating third-party libraries into their applications and ensure that they are continuously monitored for vulnerabilities, such as through penetration testing to proactively identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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