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Vulnerability record · CVE-2026-52824 · published 15 September 2026

CVE-2026-52824: Insecure default initialization vulnerability

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.

9.1 CVSS 4.0 Critical EPSS 1.3% · top 30.0% CWE-1188 · Insecure default initialization Received
9.1CVSS 4.0 base score
1.3%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
0Affected product versions listed by NVD
5References
16 Sep 2026Last modified by 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.

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:

References

LinkTags
https://github.com/kimai/kimai/commit/31a8f887a5cda517db7b4320a7ad997c87d08601
https://github.com/kimai/kimai/pull/5952
https://github.com/kimai/kimai/releases/tag/2.58.0
https://github.com/kimai/kimai/security/advisories/GHSA-jr9p-4h4j-6c58
https://www.kimai.org/en/security/ghsa-jr9p-4h4j-6c58

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Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2026-52824), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-27). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.