diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler.go
index 76b0739c..2758af50 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler.go
@@ -44,23 +44,30 @@ func ValidateHandler() gin.HandlerFunc {
 	}
 }
 
-func isExcludedPath(path string) bool {
+// jwtExcludedPaths are the routes that skip JWT validation. An entry is
+// matched exactly, unless its last segment is a gin catch-all ("*name", as in
+// the route "/swagger/*any"): then any path under the part before the "*"
+// matches (bug-1962).
+var jwtExcludedPaths = []string{
+	"/ping",
+	"/xce/v1/auth/logon",
+	"/swagger/*any",
+	"/xce/v1/auth/logout",
+}
 
-	allowed := false
-	// define some excluded paths
-	excludedPaths := []string{
-		"/ping",
-		"/xce/v1/auth/logon",
-		"/swagger/*any",
-		"/xce/v1/auth/logout",
-	}
-	for _, excludedPath := range excludedPaths {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(path, excludedPath[:len(excludedPath)-1]) { // 去掉最后的 *
-			allowed = true
-			break
+func isExcludedPath(path string) bool {
+	for _, excludedPath := range jwtExcludedPaths {
+		if i := strings.LastIndex(excludedPath, "/*"); i >= 0 {
+			if strings.HasPrefix(path, excludedPath[:i+1]) {
+				return true
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		if path == excludedPath {
+			return true
 		}
 	}
-	return allowed
+	return false
 }
 
 // Token validation middleware
diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler_test.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler_test.go
index eebcd91d..aec2e814 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler_test.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler_test.go
@@ -150,3 +150,58 @@ func TestIsValidToken_PinsSigningAlgorithm(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// bug-1962: exact excluded entries match only themselves; only the wildcard
+// entry (/swagger/*any) matches by prefix.
+func TestIsExcludedPath(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		path string
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"/ping", true},
+		{"/xce/v1/auth/logon", true},
+		{"/xce/v1/auth/logout", true},
+		{"/swagger/index.html", true},
+		{"/swagger/doc.json", true},
+		// prefix look-alikes must not skip JWT validation
+		{"/pinX", false},
+		{"/pin", false},
+		{"/ping/x", false},
+		{"/pingpong", false},
+		{"/xce/v1/auth/logonX", false},
+		{"/xce/v1/auth/logo", false},
+		{"/xce/v1/auth/logout/x", false},
+		{"/swaggerX", false},
+		{"/xce/v1/jobs", false},
+		{"/", false},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		if got := isExcludedPath(tt.path); got != tt.want {
+			t.Errorf("isExcludedPath(%q) = %v, want %v", tt.path, got, tt.want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// bug-1962: a request to a path that only shares a prefix with an excluded
+// entry must still be rejected without a token; the excluded entry itself
+// still needs none.
+func TestValidateHandler_PrefixLookAlikeNeedsToken(t *testing.T) {
+	setTestAuthConfig(t)
+	gin.SetMode(gin.TestMode)
+	r := gin.New()
+	r.Use(ValidateHandler())
+	r.GET("/pinX", func(ctx *gin.Context) { ctx.String(http.StatusOK, "reached") })
+	r.GET("/ping", func(ctx *gin.Context) { ctx.String(http.StatusOK, "pong") })
+
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	r.ServeHTTP(w, httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/pinX", nil))
+	if strings.Contains(w.Body.String(), "reached") {
+		t.Errorf("/pinX without a token reached the handler (status %d)", w.Code)
+	}
+
+	w = httptest.NewRecorder()
+	r.ServeHTTP(w, httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/ping", nil))
+	if w.Code != http.StatusOK || w.Body.String() != "pong" {
+		t.Errorf("/ping without a token: status %d body %q, want 200 pong", w.Code, w.Body.String())
+	}
+}