Proof of concept exploit for CVE-2024-49113

This exploit sends a POST request to the vulnerable API endpoint with a maliciously crafted JWT token in the Authorization header. The JWT token is crafted to contain an admin username and role, but the password field is set to "password" (the default password for the admin user).

When the server receives the request, it will parse the JWT token and use the username and role from the token to authorize the request. Since the password is not verified, the request will be authenticated as an admin user, allowing the attacker to perform unauthorized actions.

In defense against this vulnerability, the password hash in the JWT token must always be verified before authorizing the request. Additionally, the JWT token should be signed with a strong secret key and have an expiration time to limit its validity.

CVE-2024-49113 is a vulnerability in the authentication mechanism used by web applications. It affects web applications that use JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) for authentication and authorization.

The vulnerability lies in the fact that JWTs can be forged or tampered with by an attacker. If the JWT is not validated correctly on the server side, an attacker can potentially manipulate the token to gain unauthorized access.

Here's an example of how an attacker could exploit this vulnerability:

1.?????? An attacker intercepts a valid JWT token from a user who has authenticated to the web application.

2.?????? The attacker modifies the token by changing the username or role to that of an admin user.

3.?????? The attacker sends the modified token to the web application in the Authorization header of a request.

4.?????? The server-side code does not correctly validate the token and thus authorizes the request as an admin user.

5.?????? The attacker can now access sensitive resources or perform unauthorized actions as an admin user.

To defend against this vulnerability, ensure your web applications always validate the integrity and authenticity of JWTs before authorizing any request. This can be achieved by the steps below:

1.?????? Validating the signature of the JWT to ensure it was issued by the application.

2.?????? Check the expiration time of the JWT to ensure it has not expired.

3.?????? Ensuring that the username and role in the JWT match the actual user's credentials.

It is also recommended that strong encryption algorithms be used and that the secret key used for signing JWTs be kept secure. Additionally, short-lived JWTs should be used to limit the window of opportunity for an attacker to manipulate them.

By following these best practices, web applications can help mitigate the risk of JWT authentication vulnerabilities.