LightRAG: Hardcoded JWT Signing Secret Allows Authentication Bypass
Subject: Security Vulnerability Report Hardcoded JWT Secret (CVE-2026-30762)
Hi HKUDS team,
I'm writing to report a security vulnerability I discovered in LightRAG v1.4.10. This has been assigned CVE-2026-30762 by MITRE.
Vulnerability: Hardcoded JWT signing secret Type: Improper Authentication (CWE-287) Severity: High Attack Vector: Remote / Unauthenticated
Summary: The file lightrag/api/config.py (line 397) uses a default JWT secret "lightrag-jwt-default-secret" when the TOKEN_SECRET environment variable is not set. The AuthHandler in lightrag/api/auth.py (lines 24-25) uses this secret to sign and verify tokens. An unauthenticated attacker can forge valid JWT tokens using the publicly known default secret and gain access to any protected endpoint.
Reproduction:
- Install LightRAG v1.4.10 with AUTH_ACCOUNTS configured but no TOKEN_SECRET set
- Use PyJWT to sign a token: jwt.encode({"sub": "admin", "role": "user"}, "lightrag-jwt-default-secret", algorithm="HS256")
- Send a request to any protected endpoint with the header: Authorization: Bearer <forged_token>
- Access is granted without valid credentials
Suggested Fix: Require TOKEN_SECRET to be explicitly set when AUTH_ACCOUNTS is configured. Refuse to start the API server if authentication is enabled but no custom secret is provided.
I'm following a 90-day responsible disclosure timeline from today's date. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.
Best regards, Venkata Avinash Taduturi
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | lightrag-hku | < 1.4.13 | 1.4.13 |
References
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-287- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
lightrag-hku- Disclosed
- 04.04.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 14:18
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2026-2593 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-mcww-4hxq-hfr3 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: lightrag-hku
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 10
- First → latest
- 06.2025 09.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 3
- High 2
- Medium 5
Disclosures per year
- 2025: 1
- 2026: 9
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LightRAG: Hardcoded JWT Signing Secret Allows Authentication Bypass this entry
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