# CVE-2026-52824 — kimai

> As of 2026-09-16, CVE-2026-52824 is a Critical-severity (band derived from the CVSS v4.0 score, not stated by the CNA) vulnerability in kimai, CVSS v4.0 9.1, EPSS 1.3% (70.3th percentile). Threadlinqs Intelligence links 1 tracked threat campaign to CVE-2026-52824, most recently “CVE-2026-52824: Kimai Docker Image Hardcoded APP_SECRET Enables Account Takeover”.

**Last updated:** 2026-09-16

## What is CVE-2026-52824?

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.

The record classifies CVE-2026-52824 under weakness class [CWE-1188](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cwe/CWE-1188). 1 affected-product entry is recorded, across 1 vendor, listed below. The identifier was first published 50 days ago.

## Severity and exploitation probability

- **CVSS v4.0 base score:** 9.1 — Critical (derived from score) (`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`)
- **EPSS (FIRST):** 1.3% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 70.3% of all scored CVEs
- **CISA KEV:** Not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- **Threadlinqs priority:** 9.9/10 — a Threadlinqs composite of the CVSS base score, the EPSS percentile and public exploit availability
- **Published:** 2026-09-15, last modified 2026-09-16

## Is CVE-2026-52824 being exploited?

Weaponised exploit code for CVE-2026-52824 is publicly available. 1 public proof-of-concept repository is tracked for this identifier. A ProjectDiscovery Nuclei detection template exists (`http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-52824.yaml`). It currently carries a trending score of 56 in the Threadlinqs vulnerability feed.

- [AzureADTrent/CVE-2026-52824](https://github.com/AzureADTrent/CVE-2026-52824) (github)

## Affected products and versions

- **kimai**: kimai

Affected software packages:

- `composer:kimai/kimai` — patched in 2.58.0

## How to fix CVE-2026-52824

Fixed versions are recorded for 1 package: composer:kimai/kimai 2.58.0. No vendor patch reference has been recorded for CVE-2026-52824 in the tracked sources. Follow the references below for a fix, and treat the products listed above as exposed until the vendor states otherwise.

## Threat activity tracking CVE-2026-52824

1 tracked threat in the Threadlinqs corpus references CVE-2026-52824, either in the campaign’s CVE list or as an indicator on the campaign record.

- [CVE-2026-52824: Kimai Docker Image Hardcoded APP_SECRET Enables Account Takeover](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1556) — HIGH · 2026-07-20

## Sources

Enriched from CVE.org, FIRST EPSS, GitHub Security Advisories, public proof-of-concept repositories, ProjectDiscovery Nuclei. Last verified by Threadlinqs on 2026-10-10.

**Vendor advisory and patch**

- [github.com](https://github.com/kimai/kimai/security/advisories/GHSA-jr9p-4h4j-6c58)

**Other references**

- [github.com](https://github.com/kimai/kimai/pull/5952)
- [github.com (31a8f887a5cda517db7b4320a7ad997c87d08601)](https://github.com/kimai/kimai/commit/31a8f887a5cda517db7b4320a7ad997c87d08601)
- [github.com (2.58)](https://github.com/kimai/kimai/releases/tag/2.58.0)
- [kimai.org](https://www.kimai.org/en/security/ghsa-jr9p-4h4j-6c58)

Canonical: https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2026-52824
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