CVE-2026-52824
Kimai: Default APP_SECRET in Docker Image Enables Cookie Forgery and Account Takeover
Kimai is an open-source time tracking application. Prior to 2.58.0, the official Docker image sets APP_SECRET to the public value change_this_to_something_unique in Dockerfile, and .docker/entrypoint.sh neither replaces nor rejects that value before Symfony uses it as kernel.secret. An unauthenticated attacker who reaches a deployment that did not override APP_SECRET, knows a username, correctly guesses the account ID associated with that username, and targets an account without active two-factor authentication can forge HMAC-protected authentication artifacts, including KIMAI_REMEMBER cookies and login links, to access the account without its password. The updated entrypoint generates and persists a random secret when no safe operator-provided value exists. This issue is fixed in version 2.58.0.
- Affected
- kimai
- CVSS v4.0 GITHUB
- 9.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/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 - CVSS v4.0 GitHub
- 9.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - EPSS
- 1.33% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, 71st percentile
- Nuclei
- critical · CWE-1188
- Published
- 2026-09-15
- Updated
- 2026-09-16
Proof-of-concept exploits (1)
- cyeezy08/pocs0★ · 2026-10-08