CVE-2020-37281: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vh3j-3qjc-g47j
Share
CVSS 8.1
CWE-1394
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-37281 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 8.1) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-1394: Use of Default Cryptographic Key) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product uses a default cryptographic key for potentially critical functionality.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2020-37281 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-37281
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vh3j-3qjc-g47j
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-1394: Use of Default Cryptographic Key
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2020-37281

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-37281, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-1394: Use of Default Cryptographic Key, where the product uses a default cryptographic key for potentially critical functionality. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user by forging JWTs signed with the shipped default jwt.secret. Attackers knowing an existing user ID can sign an HS256 token with that subject and present it as a bearer token to the Management API, impersonating administrators to gain full platform control.

References

NVD — CVE-2020-37281 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-37281
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/gravitee-io/issues/issues/4204
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/gravitee-apim-rest-api/gravitee-apim-rest-api-management/gravitee-apim-rest-api-management-security/src/main/java/io/gravitee/rest/api/management/security/config/BasicSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java#L157-L175
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/gravitee-apim-rest-api/gravitee-apim-rest-api-standalone/gravitee-apim-rest-api-standalone-distribution/src/main/resources/config/gravitee.yml#L636-L637
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/helm/values.yaml#L103
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-docs/blob/master/pages/apim/3.x/how-tos/how-to-general-configuration.adoc
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/gravitee... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/gravitee-api-management-through-4.12.22-default-jwt-secret-authentication-bypass

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-37281?
CVE-2020-37281 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-1394: Use of Default Cryptographic Key.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2020-37281?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-37281?
CVE-2020-37281 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-37281?
CVE-2020-37281 is classified under CWE-1394: Use of Default Cryptographic Key (The product uses a default cryptographic key for potentially critical functionality.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-37281?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-vh3j-3qjc-g47j",
  "modified" : "2026-10-14T15:32:22Z",
  "published" : "2026-10-14T15:32:22Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-37281" ],
  "details" : "Gravitee API Management through 4.12.22 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to impersonate any user by forging JWTs signed with the shipped default jwt.secret. Attackers knowing an existing user ID can sign an HS256 token with that subject and present it as a bearer token to the Management API, impersonating administrators to gain full platform control.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-37281"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gravitee-io/issues/issues/4204"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/gravitee-apim-rest-api/gravitee-apim-rest-api-management/gravitee-apim-rest-api-management-security/src/main/java/io/gravitee/rest/api/management/security/config/BasicSecurityConfigurerAdapter.java#L157-L175"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/gravitee-apim-rest-api/gravitee-apim-rest-api-standalone/gravitee-apim-rest-api-standalone-distribution/src/main/resources/config/gravitee.yml#L636-L637"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management/blob/4.12.22/helm/values.yaml#L103"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-docs/blob/master/pages/apim/3.x/how-tos/how-to-general-configuration.adoc"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/gravitee-api-management-through-4.12.22-default-jwt-secret-authentication-bypass"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1394" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-10-14T15:16:59Z"
  }
}