CVE-2026-52824· NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

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.

CriticalCVSS 9.1 · v4.0—Proof of concept Fix available

Pre-auth

Published: Sep 15, 2026
Updated: Sep 30, 2026
EPSS: 1.3% · 70th percentile
CWE: CWE-1188

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Report tools

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Action score

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS: 36 / 40 · 9.1 / 10
CISA KEV: 0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS: 0 / 30 · 1.3%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation: none
Automatable: no
Technical impact: total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD: —
CNA · GitHub_M: 9.1; NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

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

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

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Affected systems

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Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

kimai kimai
- < 2.58.0affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

Ecosystem	Package	Affected range	Fix
Packagist	kimai/kimai	before 2.58.0	2.58.0

Same product

kimai: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

CVE-2020-19825Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in kevinpapst kimai2 1.30.0 in /src/Twig/Runtime/MarkdownExtension.php, allows attackers to gain es
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CVE-2026-80202Kimai before 2.56.0 Authorization Bypass via TimesheetVoter
37Monitor
CVE-2026-80198Kimai before 2.56.0 Information Disclosure via config() Twig Function
34Monitor
CVE-2026-80197Kimai before 2.57.0 Improper Authorization via Favorite Endpoints
34Monitor
CVE-2026-80196Kimai before 2.58.0 Authentication Bypass via Password Reset Link
34Monitor
CVE-2026-80195Kimai before 2.63.0 Team Membership Removal via API
34Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / package	Fixed version	Source
kimai kimai	2.58.0 · description	Vendor (CNA)
Packagist:kimai/kimai	2.58.0	Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

Nuclei detection template ×1
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
Source	Kind	Date
Nuclei detection template	Nuclei template CVE-2026-52824	—
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub	stars:0	2026-08-04

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

First PoCAug 4, 2026-42 d
PublishedSep 15, 2026
TodayOct 8, 2026+24 d

EPSS, last 120 days-1% in 7 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

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Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
No account or password is required.
No user action is required.
Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability

Attack vector: Network
Attack complexity: High
Privileges required: None
User interaction: None
Scope: X

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-1188 · Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary