---
title: "CVE-2026-52824: Kimai - Default APP_SECRET Authentication Bypass"
description: "Kimai <= 2.57.0 contains a broken authentication vulnerability caused by a hardcoded default APP_SECRET used to sign login tokens, letting unauthenticated attackers hijack any user account including super-admin."
url: https://panop.io/threat-heartbeat/CVE-2026-52824/
---

# CVE-2026-52824 Kimai - Default APP\_SECRET Authentication Bypass

Kimai <= 2.57.0 contains a broken authentication vulnerability caused by a hardcoded default APP\_SECRET used to sign login tokens, letting unauthenticated attackers hijack any user account including super-admin.

CVSS base score n/a

Critical

CISA KEV

Not listed

Public exploit

Proof of concept available

Authentication

Not required

EPSS

1.33% chance of exploitation in 30 days

[View the NVD record ↗](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52824)

## Details

Type

Default APP\_SECRET Authentication Bypass

Impact

Privilege Escalation

CVSS vector

N/A

Published

15 September 2026

Updated

15 October 2026

Weakness

[CWE-1188](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1188.html)

## Vendor fix

Upgrade to Kimai >= 2.58.0 which generates a random APP\_SECRET on first boot. Alternatively, manually set a unique APP\_SECRET in your .env.local file.

Patching closes this CVE. It does not tell you which of your systems run the affected version, or what else is exposed alongside them.

## References

- [https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52824](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-52824)
- [https://github.com/kimai/kimai/security/advisories/GHSA-jr9p-4h4j-6c58](https://github.com/kimai/kimai/security/advisories/GHSA-jr9p-4h4j-6c58)
- [https://www.kimai.org/en/security/ghsa-jr9p-4h4j-6c58](https://www.kimai.org/en/security/ghsa-jr9p-4h4j-6c58)
- [https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jr9p-4h4j-6c58](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jr9p-4h4j-6c58)
- [https://github.com/kimai/kimai/releases/tag/2.58.0](https://github.com/kimai/kimai/releases/tag/2.58.0)
- [https://github.com/kimai/kimai/commit/31a8f887a5cda517db7b4320a7ad997c87d08601](https://github.com/kimai/kimai/commit/31a8f887a5cda517db7b4320a7ad997c87d08601)
- [https://github.com/kimai/kimai/pull/5952](https://github.com/kimai/kimai/pull/5952)

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## What this record can't tell you

- Whether you run the affected software, and where
- Whether an attacker can actually reach and exploit it
- The misconfigurations that never get a CVE number
- What it would cost the business, ranked into what to fix first

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