---
title: "CVE-2026-53709: MCP Context Forge - Authentication Bypass"
description: "MCP Context Forge < 1.0.2 contains a broken authentication caused by use of a known JWT_SECRET_KEY and platform-admin bootstrap, letting remote unauthenticated attackers mint administrator tokens, exploit requires vulnerable signing key and bootstrap enabled."
url: https://panop.io/threat-heartbeat/CVE-2026-53709/
---

# CVE-2026-53709 MCP Context Forge - Authentication Bypass

MCP Context Forge < 1.0.2 contains a broken authentication caused by use of a known JWT\_SECRET\_KEY and platform-admin bootstrap, letting remote unauthenticated attackers mint administrator tokens, exploit requires vulnerable signing key and bootstrap enabled.

CVSS base score 9.8 /10

Critical

CISA KEV

Not listed

Public exploit

None known

EPSS

0.45% chance of exploitation in 30 days

[View the NVD record ↗](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53709)

## Details

Type

Authentication Bypass

Impact

Privilege Escalation, Information Disclosure, Data Tampering, Denial Of Service

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Published

13 October 2026

Updated

15 October 2026

Weakness

[CWE-287](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/287.html)

## Vendor fix

Update to version 1.0.2 or later.

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-2026-53709](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53709)
- [https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/commit/2af690f894b6e35f5f21190fdab1505f023a5272](https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/commit/2af690f894b6e35f5f21190fdab1505f023a5272)
- [https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/releases/tag/v1.0.2](https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/releases/tag/v1.0.2)
- [https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/security/advisories/GHSA-m8rv-5m6m-32ff](https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/security/advisories/GHSA-m8rv-5m6m-32ff)

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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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