# CVE-2026-14916: Kong API Gateway Enterprise: JWT Algorithm-Confusion

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication in Kong Enterprise Gateway by exploiting JWT algorithm confusion, leading to potential data compromise.

- **Severity:** High 7.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5qvf-77w7-x85r

## What is CVE-2026-14916?

CVE-2026-14916 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Kong Enteprise Gateway, published on 16 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A JWT signature verification vulnerability affects Kong components that perform JWT validation for MCP OAuth2 or DataKit integrations inside Kong API Gateway Enterprise. The affected code does not properly validate that the JWT signing algorithm is compatible with the type of key used for verification.

As a result, an unauthenticated remote attacker may be able to craft a forged JWT that is incorrectly accepted as valid, leading to authentication bypass and potential compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Weakness: CWE-241 (Improper Handling of Unexpected Data Type)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-14916?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-14916?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-14916 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-14916 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-14916 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-14916 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-14916 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Kong Enteprise Gateway, published on 16 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-14916 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Kong Enteprise Gateway. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14916/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14916/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14916
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-14916
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-14916

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-14916/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.