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GHSA-7322-jrq4-x5hf

MEDIUM

File reference keys leads to incorrect hashes on HMAC algorithms

Also known asCVE-2021-41106
Published
Sep 29, 2021
Updated
Mar 13, 2026
Affected
3 pkgs
Patched
3 / 3
Exploits
None indexed

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗
0.2%probability of exploitation in next 30 days
Lower Risk10th percentile+0.17%
0.00%0.23%0.47%0.70%0.0%0.2%Dec 25Apr 26Jun 26

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Blast Radius

3 pkgs affected
🐘lcobucci/jwt🐘lcobucci/jwt🐘lcobucci/jwt

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Impact

Users of HMAC-based algorithms (HS256, HS384, and HS512) combined with Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\LocalFileReference as key are having their tokens issued/validated using the file path as hashing key - instead of the contents.

The HMAC hashing functions take any string as input and, since users can issue and validate tokens, people are lead to believe that everything works properly.

Patches

All versions have been patched to always load the file contents, deprecated the Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\LocalFileReference, and suggest Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\InMemory as the alternative.

Workarounds

Use Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\InMemory instead of Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\LocalFileReference to create the instances of your keys:

-use Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\LocalFileReference;
+use Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\InMemory;

-$key = LocalFileReference::file(__DIR__ . '/public-key.pem');
+$key = InMemory::file(__DIR__ . '/public-key.pem');

Affected Packages

3 total 3 fixed
EcosystemPackageVulnerable rangeFix
🐘Packagistlcobucci/jwt3.4.0&&< 3.4.63.4.6
🐘Packagistlcobucci/jwt4.0.0&&< 4.0.44.0.4
🐘Packagistlcobucci/jwt4.1.0&&< 4.1.54.1.5

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency
  1. Detect

    Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for lcobucci/jwt. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

  2. Fix

    Update lcobucci/jwt to 3.4.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-7322-jrq4-x5hf is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

  3. Workarounds

    If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

  4. How O3 protects you

    O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-7322-jrq4-x5hf is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to GHSA-7322-jrq4-x5hf. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

### Impact Users of HMAC-based algorithms (HS256, HS384, and HS512) combined with `Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\LocalFileReference` as key are having their tokens issued/validated using the file path as hashing key - instead of the contents. The HMAC hashing functions take any string as input and, since users can issue and validate tokens, people are lead to believe that everything works properly. ### Patches All versions have been patched to always load the file contents, deprecated the `Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\LocalFileReference`, and suggest `Lcobucci\JWT\Signer\Key\InMemory` as the alternat
O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is GHSA-7322-jrq4-x5hf in your dependencies?

O3 detects GHSA-7322-jrq4-x5hf across Packagist dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.