Summary
Homer versions before 11.0.283 may leave protected API endpoints unauthenticated when the JWT secret retains its default empty value. An attacker who can reach the exposed API routes could access functionality without presenting valid credentials, potentially enabling unauthorized data access or administrative actions.
Homer versions before 11.0.283 may leave protected API endpoints unauthenticated when the JWT secret retains its default empty value. An attacker who can reach the exposed API routes could access functionality without presenting valid credentials, potentially enabling unauthorized data access or administrative actions.
Affected context
The issue occurs in Homer installations using the JWT middleware for API protection when the JWT secret is unset or remains an empty string. Under that configuration, the middleware bypasses authentication for protected endpoints under /api/v1, /api/v3, and /api/v4, subject to network exposure and deployment-specific authorization controls.
The issue occurs in Homer installations using the JWT middleware for API protection when the JWT secret is unset or remains an empty string. Under that configuration, the middleware bypasses authentication for protected endpoints under /api/v1, /api/v3, and /api/v4, subject to network exposure and deployment-specific authorization controls.
Exploit preconditions
- Attack surface: Homer HTTP API endpoints under
/api/v1,/api/v3, and/api/v4 - Required access: Network reachability to the Homer service; valid credentials may not be required
- Trigger point: A request processed by
JWTMiddlewareorJWTMiddlewareV4 - Why exploitation is possible: An empty JWT secret causes the middleware to pass requests onward without requiring or validating authentication
- Attack surface: Homer HTTP API endpoints under
/api/v1,/api/v3, and/api/v4 - Required access: Network reachability to the Homer service; valid credentials may not be required
- Trigger point: A request processed by
JWTMiddlewareorJWTMiddlewareV4 - Why exploitation is possible: An empty JWT secret causes the middleware to pass requests onward without requiring or validating authentication
Why this happens
The vulnerability results from treating an empty JWT secret as a condition to bypass authentication rather than as an invalid or incomplete security configuration. Both middleware functions immediately forward requests when the secret is empty, and the default configuration uses that value. This maps to CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function, because protected API operations can be reached without an effective authentication check.
The vulnerability results from treating an empty JWT secret as a condition to bypass authentication rather than as an invalid or incomplete security configuration. Both middleware functions immediately forward requests when the secret is empty, and the default configuration uses that value. This maps to CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function, because protected API operations can be reached without an effective authentication check.
Potential impact
- Attackers may access protected API functionality without authentication
- Unauthorized users could read or modify observability data
- Attackers may invoke administrative or operational actions exposed by the APIs
- Compromised API access could support further attacks against connected systems
- The confidentiality, integrity, or availability of monitored services may be affected
- Attackers may access protected API functionality without authentication
- Unauthorized users could read or modify observability data
- Attackers may invoke administrative or operational actions exposed by the APIs
- Compromised API access could support further attacks against connected systems
- The confidentiality, integrity, or availability of monitored services may be affected
General mitigation guidance
Mitigation generally focuses on making authentication mandatory and rejecting insecure defaults.
Common defensive patterns include:
- Fail closed when a JWT secret is absent, empty, weak, or otherwise invalid
- Require a securely provisioned secret before starting protected API services
- Use secure secret storage and prevent secrets from being committed to source or deployment manifests
- Apply explicit authorization checks to sensitive API operations in addition to authentication
- Restrict API network exposure through segmentation, gateways, and narrowly scoped access policies
- Run the service with least privilege and limit the impact of potentially unauthorized API actions
Mitigation generally focuses on making authentication mandatory and rejecting insecure defaults.
Common defensive patterns include:
- Fail closed when a JWT secret is absent, empty, weak, or otherwise invalid
- Require a securely provisioned secret before starting protected API services
- Use secure secret storage and prevent secrets from being committed to source or deployment manifests
- Apply explicit authorization checks to sensitive API operations in addition to authentication
- Restrict API network exposure through segmentation, gateways, and narrowly scoped access policies
- Run the service with least privilege and limit the impact of potentially unauthorized API actions
How teams detect issues like this
Organizations can look for this issue through:
- Static analysis rules identifying authentication middleware that bypasses checks for empty or missing secrets
- Code review searches for default credentials, empty security tokens, and fail-open authentication branches
- Configuration audits that verify JWT secrets are present, non-default, and securely provisioned
- Integration tests that request protected endpoints with no token and confirm access is denied
- API gateway and application logs showing successful requests to protected routes without authentication
- Policy enforcement requiring authentication and authorization controls for externally reachable administrative APIs
Automated security review tools may help identify fail-open authentication logic and insecure default configurations.
Organizations can look for this issue through:
- Static analysis rules identifying authentication middleware that bypasses checks for empty or missing secrets
- Code review searches for default credentials, empty security tokens, and fail-open authentication branches
- Configuration audits that verify JWT secrets are present, non-default, and securely provisioned
- Integration tests that request protected endpoints with no token and confirm access is denied
- API gateway and application logs showing successful requests to protected routes without authentication
- Policy enforcement requiring authentication and authorization controls for externally reachable administrative APIs
Automated security review tools may help identify fail-open authentication logic and insecure default configurations.
