SEPTEMBER 17, 2026
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Case File

CVE-2026-52824

CRITICAL · CVSS 9.1 EPSS 2.06% Public Exploit

Source: NVD + CISA KEV + EPSS · Published 2026-09-15 · Last synced 2026-09-17

CyberRota Analysis

AI-Generated

The Docker image for Kimai, prior to version 2.58.0, contains a hardcoded APP_SECRET value, which can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers to forge HMAC-protected authentication artifacts and gain unauthorized access to user accounts. This vulnerability poses a critical risk, particularly for deployments that do not override the default APP_SECRET and lack two-factor authentication. Organizations using Kimai should prioritize upgrading to version 2.58.0 or later to mitigate this risk.

Public Exploit Signal

A public exploit, PoC, GitHub repository or Metasploit reference was detected for this CVE.

Note: these links are listed for security research and verification purposes only.

CVE
CVE-2026-52824
Severity
CRITICAL
CVSS
9.1
EPSS
2.06%
Docker

Original NVD Description

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.