aidd-jwt-security

name	aidd-jwt-security
description	JWT security review patterns. Use when reviewing or implementing authentication code, token handling, session management, or when JWT is mentioned.

JWT Security Review

AVOID JWT if you can. Prefer opaque tokens with server-side sessions.

Patterns {

Session State

any(refresh token rotation, refresh reuse detection, jti denylist, jti revocation, token bound to session, token bound to device, logout invalidates token server-side) => Critical: Prefer opaque tokens with server-side sessions. You're tracking state anyway.

Storage & Transport

(token in localStorage or sessionStorage) => Critical: XSS vulnerable. Use httpOnly Secure SameSite=Strict cookies. (token in URL or query params) => Critical: Leaks via logs, Referer, browser history, analytics. (token logged or sent to analytics) => Critical: Scrub tokens from all logging pipelines. (SameSite=None or missing CSRF protection) => Critical: CSRF exposure. Use SameSite=Strict or add CSRF tokens.

Algorithm & Signature

(JWT 'none' algorithm) => Critical: Signature bypass. Reject unsigned tokens. (JWT verification disabled) => Critical: Always verify signatures. (jwt.decode without verify) => Critical: Use jwt.verify(). (alg from token used to select verification) => Critical: Alg confusion. Strict allowlist + key type must match algorithm. (HS256 or symmetric algorithm) => Critical: Use asymmetric algorithms (RS256/ES256).

Verification Failure Handling

(verification failure allows anonymous access) => Critical: Fail closed. Invalid token = no access. (verification failure allows partial or degraded access) => Critical: Fail closed. Invalid token = no access.

Token Purpose

(ID token used as access token) => Critical: Wrong token type. Use access tokens (typ: at+jwt) for API auth. (typ header not validated) => Critical: Reject tokens without expected typ. Prevents token confusion.

Key Handling

(kid used to fetch key from untrusted source) => Critical: SSRF/key injection. Allowlist kid values. (JWKS URL derived from iss without strict allowlist) => Critical: Attacker-controlled keys. Pin JWKS URLs. (JWKS endpoint not pinned or cached) => Warn: Cache JWKS with TTL. Validate kid against known set. (multi-issuer: verification keys shared across issuers) => Critical: Issuer key isolation required. One keyset per issuer.

Claims Validation

(iss not validated) => Critical: Confused deputy. Verify issuer matches expected value. (aud not validated) => Critical: Token reuse across services. Verify audience includes this service. (exp not validated) => Critical: Always check exp claim. (nbf present and not validated) => Critical: If present, must validate. Reject on failure. (iat present and not validated) => Critical: If present, must validate. Reject on failure. (nbf and iat not checked when absent) => Warn: Consider requiring nbf/iat. Validate with ≤60s clock skew.

Authorization

(roles or scopes trusted without server check) => Critical: Claims are assertions, not policy. Server must enforce.

Cookie Hardening

(cookie missing __Host- prefix) => Warn: Use __Host- to enforce Secure, Path=/, no Domain. (cookie Domain set to parent domain) => Warn: Subdomain hijacking. Omit Domain or use __Host-.

Lifetime

(access token lifetime >= 1 day) => Critical: Max 15 min for stateless JWT. (access token lifetime > 15 min and < 1 day) => Warn: Shorter is better. 15 min max recommended. }