JWT (JSON Web Token) Security Risks: Common Vulnerabilities and Exploits Every Bug Hunter Should…

Welcome to the realm of JSON Web Tokens (JWTs), a crucial component of secure authentication, API interactions, and modern web security. Whether you’re a developer, a penetration tester, or simply eager to understand token-based authentication, this guide will provide a clear and comprehensive breakdown.

What is a JWT?

A JSON Web Token (JWT) is a lightweight, self-contained token designed for securely exchanging information between parties in JSON format. Unlike traditional session-based authentication, JWTs enable stateless authentication, offering scalability, efficiency, and broad adoption in modern applications.

Structure of a JWT

A JWT is composed of three components, all Base64-encoded and separated by dots (.):

Header: Specifies the signing algorithm and token type.
Payload: Contains claims (user information, expiration, etc.)…