# python-jose algorithm confusion guard bypassed by DER-encoded public keys

Advisory record · `GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx`

- **Identifiers:** `GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx` · `CVE-2024-33663` · `CVE-2026-85394` · `GHSA-6c5p-j8vq-pqhj` · `PYSEC-2024-232` · `PYSEC-2026-4298`
- **State:** Confirmed
- **Severity:** CVSS 9.3 Critical
- **Critical:** Yes: CVSS 9+
- **Weakness (CWE):** [CWE-327](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/327.html) · [CWE-347](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/347.html)
- **Tags:** [Weak cryptography or TLS](https://agentprime.io/advisories/tag/weak-crypto.md)
- **Published:** 3 Sept 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Reviewed by a person:** No

Published by the GitHub Advisory Database at 3 Sept 2026, 21:31 UTC. agentprime has not analysed this yet, so whether it affects any app is not known.

## Critical

Critical, because:

- CVSS score 9.3: 9.0 or more.

How we decide what’s critical: <https://agentprime.io/advisories/critical.md>

## Affected packages

- `python-jose` (PyPI): affected `<=3.5.0`; no fixed version yet

## Machine-written summary

Summary written by Claude Haiku from the source advisory. Not reviewed by a person.

> python-jose versions through 3.5.0 accept DER-encoded public keys that lack PEM armor or SSH prefixes when initializing HMAC, which bypasses the algorithm confusion protection added for CVE-2024-33663. An attacker who holds the service's public key can forge HS256 tokens that pass verification, provided the application does not explicitly restrict algorithms. The source lists no fixed version. Restricting verification to explicitly named algorithms is the available mitigation.

Written 1 Nov 2026.

## Not analysed yet

We haven’t published our analysis of this Advisory yet. Once a person has reviewed it, this page will say what’s vulnerable, what has to be true for your app to be affected, and how to check.

## Severity and exploitation

- 9.3 Critical, CVSS 4.0: `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`, from CNA (VulnCheck)

- **CISA KEV:** Not listed.
- **EPSS:** 0.0031, the 23rd percentile, on 8 Nov 2026: FIRST’s estimate of the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

## Timeline

- 31 Oct 2026, 14:08 UTC: First seen by agentprime
- 31 Oct 2026, 14:08 UTC: [Confirmed by OSV](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx)

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory Database: GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx)
- [OSV: GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx)
- <https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85394>
- <https://github.com/mpdavis/python-jose/issues/414>
- <https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-6c5p-j8vq-pqhj>
- <https://github.com/mpdavis/python-jose>
- <https://github.com/mpdavis/python-jose/blob/018b310ddb8b50dcfd09a0c152117835a21dd656/jose/backends/native.py>
- <https://github.com/mpdavis/python-jose/blob/018b310ddb8b50dcfd09a0c152117835a21dd656/jose/utils.py>
- <https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/python-jose-through-3.5.0-algorithm-confusion-via-der-encoded-public-key-as-hmac-secret>

Facts on this page come from the GitHub Advisory Database (CC-BY 4.0), OSV and the other sources listed, as published. We don’t reproduce full advisory descriptions, which can contain exploit code.

## Check whether this affects you

A Match means an installed version is in the affected range above. Most don’t affect the app; agentprime hasn’t analysed this one yet.

- With the agentprime MCP server (<https://api.agentprime.io/mcp>), ask your agent to check the project: `check_lockfile` sends a lockfile, `check_packages` a list of installed packages, and both return the Matches and the upgrades that clear them. `get_advisory` returns this record. Setup: <https://agentprime.io/mcp.md>
- In a browser: <https://agentprime.io/check/> reads your lockfile in the browser, never uploading it.
- Whether it touches your code, with file and line: the Claude Code plugin, <https://agentprime.io/plugin.md>
- As JSON: <https://api.agentprime.io/v1/advisories/GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx>, or `POST https://api.agentprime.io/v1/match` with your packages (<https://agentprime.io/api.md>)

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The web page: <https://agentprime.io/advisories/GHSA-3qf3-8w2g-rqmx/>. Everything for agents: <https://agentprime.io/llms.txt>.