---
id: "bug-1950"
status: "open"
status_updated: "2026-10-10"
status_note: "newly logged"
component: "apiserver"
severity: "security"
timestamp: "2026-10-10T08:15:11Z"
last_seen: "2026-10-10T08:15:11Z"
occurrences: 1
files: ["src/frontend/apiserver/middleware/validatehandler.go"]
tags: ["apiserver", "security", "jwt"]
related: []
---

# bug-1950: apiserver JWT validation does not pin the signing algorithm

## Description
**Observed:** (source reading, `.kiro/reviews/project-gap-review-2026-10-10.md` (P0); to be confirmed by a failing test before the fix)
The middleware's parse callback returns the key without checking `token.Method` (`middleware/validatehandler.go:102-104`), unlike the other parse path (`controllers/auth.go:186`).

**Expected:** Only the configured HMAC algorithm is accepted.
**Impact:** Security hardening: algorithm-confusion class of attacks is not ruled out.
**Found by:** review: `.kiro/reviews/project-gap-review-2026-10-10.md` (P0)
## Environment
- OS: no /etc/os-release; Docker container; NixOS kernel; kernel Linux 6.18.33 x86_64
- libc: glibc 2.42-47 (interpreter /nix/store/wb6rhpznjfczwlwx23zmdrrw74bayxw4-glibc-2.42-47/lib/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2)
- Toolchain: gcc (GCC) 15.2.0, meson 1.9.1
- Build: asan (xce.build)
- Code: scheduler-framework @ 94472ee3-dirty
- Deployment: any (found by source reading; the failing test that confirms it is named in Verification)

## Reproduction
1. Present a token signed with another algorithm family; validation does not reject it on the algorithm.
- Frequency: deterministic (by code reading; confirmed by the RED test of the fix)
- Evidence: the code sites quoted in Description; no logs kept.
## Root cause
TODO: required for fixed/partial

## Fix
TODO: required for fixed/partial

## Verification
- Test: TODO: name + file; RED before the fix, GREEN after
- Suites: TODO: suite results and build profile
- Live: TODO: soak/deploy run, or n/a and why

## References
- Related: none