Understanding & Fixing CVE-2025-65945 In Jws-3.2.2

by Alex Johnson 51 views

CVE-2025-65945 is a high-severity vulnerability detected in the jws-3.2.2.tgz library, specifically within the context of the serverless-full-stack-apps-azure-sql project. This article delves into the details of this vulnerability, its potential impact, and the recommended steps for remediation. Understanding the nature of this security flaw and the actions required to address it is crucial for maintaining the integrity and security of your applications. This vulnerability highlights the importance of keeping your dependencies up-to-date and understanding the risks associated with outdated software.

Vulnerable Library: jws-3.2.2.tgz - Implementation of JSON Web Signatures

The jws-3.2.2.tgz library, which implements JSON Web Signatures, is the focal point of this vulnerability. This library is used for creating and verifying JSON Web Signatures (JWS), a standard for securely transmitting information between parties as a JSON object. The vulnerability lies within the signature verification process when specific conditions are met, particularly when using the HS256 algorithm. The project's dependency file, /azure-function/node/package.json, indicates where this library is integrated into your application. Further investigation into the dependency hierarchy reveals how this vulnerable library is incorporated into your project.

The dependency hierarchy shows that jws-3.2.2.tgz is a dependency of adal-node-0.1.28.tgz, which in turn is a dependency of ms-rest-nodeauth-2.0.2.tgz, eventually leading back to the root library mssql-6.3.1.tgz. This hierarchical structure illustrates the potential ripple effect of the vulnerability, emphasizing how a flaw in a lower-level library can impact the security posture of the entire application. Specifically, the vulnerable library can be found at: /azure-function/node/node_modules/jws/package.json and /azure-static-web-app/api/node/node_modules/jws/package.json

The detection of this vulnerability in the HEAD commit ab0f2378e7f45b542ff874b9102e8b8deaf54f69 and the base branch main underscores the immediate relevance of addressing this security issue.

Impact of the Vulnerability

The vulnerability in jws-3.2.2.tgz poses a significant security risk, allowing potential attackers to bypass signature verification under specific conditions when using the HS256 algorithm. The severity of this vulnerability is rated as high, with a CVSS 3 score of 7.5. This score reflects the potential for unauthorized access and data manipulation. The Attack Vector is through the network, the Attack Complexity is considered low, indicating that the vulnerability is relatively easy to exploit, and Privileges Required are none, meaning no special permissions are needed to exploit this flaw. The impact includes a high integrity impact, meaning that attackers could potentially alter data without detection, compromising the reliability of the application.

Vulnerability Details: Improper Signature Verification

The core of the vulnerability lies in the improper signature verification process within the auth0/node-jws library. When the jws.createVerify() function is used for HMAC algorithms, and user-provided data from the JSON Web Signature header or payload is used in the HMAC secret lookup, the signature verification can be bypassed. This allows attackers to forge valid signatures, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data breaches, and other severe security incidents. This vulnerability affects applications that rely on the integrity of JSON Web Signatures for authentication and authorization.

Implications of Exploitation

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could have severe consequences. Attackers could potentially: gain unauthorized access to protected resources, manipulate sensitive data, and impersonate legitimate users. The ability to bypass signature verification undermines the fundamental security principles of JWS, potentially allowing attackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected application.

CVSS 3 Score Details and Metrics

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a standardized method for assessing the severity of software vulnerabilities. For CVE-2025-65945, the CVSS 3 score is 7.5, indicating a high level of severity. This score is derived from several metrics, which include:

  • Attack Vector (Network): The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over a network. This makes it accessible to a wide range of potential attackers.
  • Attack Complexity (Low): Exploiting the vulnerability does not require complex conditions or special skills, making it easier for attackers to succeed.
  • Privileges Required (None): An attacker does not need any special privileges or access to exploit the vulnerability, further increasing the risk.
  • User Interaction (None): The vulnerability can be exploited without requiring any user interaction, making it even more dangerous.
  • Scope (Unchanged): The vulnerability does not affect resources beyond the vulnerable component itself.
  • Confidentiality Impact (None): The vulnerability does not directly impact the confidentiality of data.
  • Integrity Impact (High): The vulnerability can lead to a high impact on data integrity, allowing for unauthorized data modification.
  • Availability Impact (None): The vulnerability does not directly impact the availability of the system.

Suggested Fix: Upgrade to a Patched Version

The recommended solution for addressing CVE-2025-65945 is to upgrade the jws library to a patched version. Specifically, versions 3.2.3 and 4.0.1 and later include the necessary fixes to address the signature verification vulnerability. By updating the library, you can ensure that the security flaw is mitigated, and your application is protected against potential exploitation. The upgrade process involves updating the dependency in your package.json file and running the appropriate package manager commands (e.g., npm install or yarn install) to update the installed packages.

Steps for Remediation

  1. Identify the vulnerable version: Confirm that your project is using jws-3.2.2 or an earlier version. You can check this by examining your package.json file and looking for the jws dependency.
  2. Upgrade the library: Update your package.json to specify a newer, patched version of jws (3.2.3 or 4.0.1 or later). For example, you can change the version entry from `