CVE-2025-1293 in Hermes
Summary
by MITRE • 02/20/2025
Hermes versions up to 0.4.0 improperly validated the JWT provided when using the AWS ALB authentication mode, potentially allowing for authentication bypass. This vulnerability, CVE-2025-1293, was fixed in Hermes 0.5.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-1293 affects Hermes versions prior to 0.5.0 and specifically targets the AWS ALB authentication mode implementation. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the authentication validation process that could potentially allow unauthorized access to systems protected by Hermes. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of JSON Web Tokens (JWT) within the AWS ALB authentication context, creating a pathway for malicious actors to bypass legitimate authentication mechanisms.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper validation of JWT tokens when Hermes operates in AWS ALB authentication mode. This validation failure creates a condition where the system accepts malformed or unauthorized JWT tokens without proper verification of their authenticity, integrity, or authorization scope. The vulnerability essentially allows an attacker to craft or manipulate JWT tokens in a way that the system accepts them as legitimate authentication credentials, thereby undermining the entire authentication framework. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation and CWE-345 which covers insufficient verification of data authenticity.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-1293 extends beyond simple authentication bypass as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of systems relying on Hermes for AWS ALB authentication. Organizations using affected Hermes versions face potential unauthorized access to protected resources, data breaches, and privilege escalation opportunities for malicious actors. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in complete system compromise, especially in environments where AWS ALB authentication is the primary means of access control. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain administrative privileges, access sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure.
The remediation for CVE-2025-1293 requires immediate upgrade to Hermes version 0.5.0 or later, which implements proper JWT validation mechanisms. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify systems running vulnerable versions and ensure all instances are updated promptly. Additionally, security teams should review existing authentication logs for potential indicators of exploitation attempts and implement enhanced monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. The fix addresses the root cause by implementing robust JWT validation that includes signature verification, expiration time checking, and proper audience validation to prevent the acceptance of malformed or unauthorized tokens. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authentication validation and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through authentication bypass mechanisms.