Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Hono, a popular JavaScript web framework, had a flaw in how it checked expiration dates on JWT login tokens before version 4.12.18. Malformed tokens could slip past time-based checks silently. This only matters when the application itself creates bad tokens or an attacker already controls the signing key, so ordinary outside attackers cannot trigger it.
Executive priority
Low priority. Schedule as a routine dependency upgrade in the next patch window. No emergency response is warranted based on current public evidence and the requirement for privileged preconditions.
Technical view
In hono/utils/jwt prior to 4.12.18, verify() did not properly validate NumericDate values for exp, nbf, and iat claims. Non-spec-compliant values bypassed time-based expiration and not-before checks. CVSS 3.1 is 3.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N) mapped to CWE-1284 (improper validation of specified quantity in input). The advisory notes it is not exploitable by an unauthenticated remote attacker.
Likely exposure
Applications using Hono versions below 4.12.18 that rely on hono/utils/jwt for token verification. Real exposure requires the application to issue malformed tokens or the signing key to already be compromised, so typical externally facing deployments with correct token issuance are not at meaningful risk.
Exploitation context
Not listed in CISA KEV and no public exploitation reported. GHSA-hm8q-7f3q-5f36 explicitly states the issue is not exploitable by an anonymous attacker. It requires an attacker with high privileges (control of signing key) or an application already producing non-compliant claim values.
Researcher notes
CWE-1284 framing is consistent with silent acceptance of malformed numeric claims. Because verify() fails open on bad claim types rather than rejecting them, downstream authorization decisions may treat expired or not-yet-valid tokens as valid. Impact is bounded by the precondition that malformed claims must reach verify(), which usually implies the token issuer or signing key is already compromised.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Hono to 4.12.18 or later across all services using hono/utils/jwt.
- Audit any custom token issuance code to ensure exp, nbf, and iat use spec-compliant NumericDate values.
- Protect JWT signing keys with strict access controls and rotation policies.
- Review vendor advisory GHSA-hm8q-7f3q-5f36 for any configuration guidance.
Validation and detection
- Run npm ls hono or equivalent to identify all installed Hono versions in your dependency tree.
- Confirm production builds resolve Hono to 4.12.18 or later after upgrade.
- Search source for imports of hono/utils/jwt and verify() to inventory affected code paths.
- Review token issuance to confirm claims conform to RFC 7519 NumericDate.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-1284: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-44459 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Low
- CVSS
- 3.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
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SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N1.22.5GitHub_MVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
3.8LowVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/honojs/hono/security/advisories/GHSA-hm8q-7f3q-5f36CVE reference, GitHub_M · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in Input
Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in Input represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.