Unauthenticated memory exhaustion via unbounded JWE decompression
Published Apr 7, 2026 · Updated Apr 7, 2026
Improper compressed-data handling in JWCrypto before 1.5.7 allows remote attackers to exhaust server memory via crafted JWE tokens. The deserialize path in jwcrypto/jwe.py checks compressed data against a 250 KB limit, then passes it to zlib.decompress without bounding the output. A token of about 133 KB can expand to about 100 MB, so unauthenticated network access to an application processing JWE ZIP tokens can interrupt service on memory-constrained systems.
Summary
What happened
Improper compressed-data handling in JWCrypto before 1.5.7 allows remote attackers to exhaust server memory via crafted JWE tokens. The deserialize path in jwcrypto/jwe.py checks compressed data against a 250 KB limit, then passes it to zlib.decompress without bounding the output. A token of about 133 KB can expand to about 100 MB, so unauthenticated network access to an application processing JWE ZIP tokens can interrupt service on memory-constrained systems.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-39373
- Published
- Apr 7, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 7, 2026
- Vendor
- Latchset
- Product
- JWCrypto
- Classifications
- CWE-409, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 7, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 7, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 1.5.7
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GHSA-fjrm-76x2-c4q4 decompression proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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