ZITADEL: Missing Token Lifecyle Validation (`exp` and `iat`) in JWT IdP Provider (CVE-2026-56664)
ZITADEL's external JWT Identity Provider implementation has a vulnerability where tokens missing the 'iat' (issued at) claim bypass the token freshness check, allowing reuse of arbitrarily old tokens. This flaw affects versions 3.0.0 through 3.4.11 and 4.0.0 through 4.15.1. The issue is fixed in versions 3.4.12 and 4.15.2, which reject tokens lacking the 'iat' claim. Without the 'iat' claim, the maximum age freshness validation is skipped, compromising session integrity.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
A token lifecycle validation vulnerability exists in ZITADEL's external JWT IdP provider where the maximum token age freshness check is bypassed if the token omits the 'iat' claim. ZITADEL enforces a 1-hour maximum token age based on 'iat', but if 'iat' is missing, the check is skipped, allowing arbitrarily old tokens to authenticate successfully. This violates OIDC Core 1.0 specifications requiring strict session expiration enforcement. The vulnerability affects ZITADEL versions 3.0.0 through 3.4.11 and 4.0.0 through 4.15.1. The issue is fixed in versions 3.4.12 and 4.15.2, which explicitly reject tokens missing the 'iat' claim.
Potential Impact
An attacker with access to a stale JWT token that lacks the 'iat' claim can reuse this token indefinitely to authenticate, bypassing the intended 1-hour maximum token age restriction. This compromises session integrity by allowing potentially expired sessions to remain valid, increasing the risk of unauthorized access.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available. Upgrade ZITADEL to version 3.4.12 or later, or 4.15.2 or later, which explicitly reject tokens missing the 'iat' claim. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, ensure the upstream Identity Provider includes the 'iat' claim in all signed JWTs to prevent acceptance of stale tokens.
ZITADEL: Missing Token Lifecyle Validation (`exp` and `iat`) in JWT IdP Provider (CVE-2026-56664)
Description
ZITADEL's external JWT Identity Provider implementation has a vulnerability where tokens missing the 'iat' (issued at) claim bypass the token freshness check, allowing reuse of arbitrarily old tokens. This flaw affects versions 3.0.0 through 3.4.11 and 4.0.0 through 4.15.1. The issue is fixed in versions 3.4.12 and 4.15.2, which reject tokens lacking the 'iat' claim. Without the 'iat' claim, the maximum age freshness validation is skipped, compromising session integrity.
CVSS v3.1
Affected software
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Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
A token lifecycle validation vulnerability exists in ZITADEL's external JWT IdP provider where the maximum token age freshness check is bypassed if the token omits the 'iat' claim. ZITADEL enforces a 1-hour maximum token age based on 'iat', but if 'iat' is missing, the check is skipped, allowing arbitrarily old tokens to authenticate successfully. This violates OIDC Core 1.0 specifications requiring strict session expiration enforcement. The vulnerability affects ZITADEL versions 3.0.0 through 3.4.11 and 4.0.0 through 4.15.1. The issue is fixed in versions 3.4.12 and 4.15.2, which explicitly reject tokens missing the 'iat' claim.
Potential Impact
An attacker with access to a stale JWT token that lacks the 'iat' claim can reuse this token indefinitely to authenticate, bypassing the intended 1-hour maximum token age restriction. This compromises session integrity by allowing potentially expired sessions to remain valid, increasing the risk of unauthorized access.
Mitigation Recommendations
A fix is available. Upgrade ZITADEL to version 3.4.12 or later, or 4.15.2 or later, which explicitly reject tokens missing the 'iat' claim. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, ensure the upstream Identity Provider includes the 'iat' claim in all signed JWTs to prevent acceptance of stale tokens.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- GHSA-wxg7-w2v3-w38g
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.4.0
- Aliases
- ["CVE-2026-56664"]
- Ecosystems
- ["Go"]
- Database Specific Severity
- MODERATE
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
Threat ID: 6a5bd3192a4a8d59892850b3
Added to database: 07/18/2026, 19:25:13 UTC
Last enriched: 07/18/2026, 19:27:54 UTC
Last updated: 07/18/2026, 21:23:35 UTC
Views: 4
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