{"id":"CVE-2026-53709","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"MCP Context Forge: Hardcoded default JWT_SECRET_KEY shipped in source and .env.example enables pre-authentication platform admin token forgery","description":"MCP Context Forge is an MCP gateway and administrative platform. Prior to 1.0.2, mcpgateway/config.py and .env.example ship a known JWT_SECRET_KEY, while verify_jwt_token() accepts HS256 tokens signed with that key and get_current_user() creates a platform administrator when the token subject matches PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL and REQUIRE_USER_IN_DB is false. A remote unauthenticated attacker can therefore mint accepted administrator tokens without a database account. While the vulnerable signing key remains configured and the platform-admin bootstrap remains enabled, forged access survives password rotation, account deletion, and session revocation, allowing administrative disclosure, modification, and service disruption. This issue is fixed in version 1.0.2.","publishedAt":"2026-10-13T14:32:12.137Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-16T21:59:50.970Z","severity":{"score":9.8,"label":"Critical","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"GitHub_M"},"assigner":"GitHub_M","products":["IBM mcp-context-forge"],"affected":[{"vendor":"IBM","product":"mcp-context-forge","versions":[{"version":"< 1.0.2","status":"affected"}]}],"references":["https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/security/advisories/GHSA-m8rv-5m6m-32ff","https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/commit/2af690f894b6e35f5f21190fdab1505f023a5272","https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/releases/tag/v1.0.2"],"weaknesses":["CWE-287","CWE-321","CWE-798","CWE-1188"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:12:16.098Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2026/53xxx/CVE-2026-53709.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2026-53709","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-10-13T14:32:12.137Z","dateUpdated":"2026-10-16T21:59:50.970Z","assignerShortName":"GitHub_M","assignerOrgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateReserved":"2026-06-10T16:43:31.241Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"MCP Context Forge: Hardcoded default JWT_SECRET_KEY shipped in source and .env.example enables pre-authentication platform admin token forgery","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"MCP Context Forge is an MCP gateway and administrative platform. Prior to 1.0.2, mcpgateway/config.py and .env.example ship a known JWT_SECRET_KEY, while verify_jwt_token() accepts HS256 tokens signed with that key and get_current_user() creates a platform administrator when the token subject matches PLATFORM_ADMIN_EMAIL and REQUIRE_USER_IN_DB is false. A remote unauthenticated attacker can therefore mint accepted administrator tokens without a database account. While the vulnerable signing key remains configured and the platform-admin bootstrap remains enabled, forged access survives password rotation, account deletion, and session revocation, allowing administrative disclosure, modification, and service disruption. This issue is fixed in version 1.0.2."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"IBM","product":"mcp-context-forge","versions":[{"version":"< 1.0.2","status":"affected"}]}],"references":[{"url":"https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/security/advisories/GHSA-m8rv-5m6m-32ff","name":"https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/security/advisories/GHSA-m8rv-5m6m-32ff","tags":["x_refsource_CONFIRM"]},{"url":"https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/commit/2af690f894b6e35f5f21190fdab1505f023a5272","name":"https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/commit/2af690f894b6e35f5f21190fdab1505f023a5272","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]},{"url":"https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/releases/tag/v1.0.2","name":"https://github.com/IBM/mcp-context-forge/releases/tag/v1.0.2","tags":["x_refsource_MISC"]}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"attackComplexity":"LOW","attackVector":"NETWORK","availabilityImpact":"HIGH","baseScore":9.8,"baseSeverity":"CRITICAL","confidentialityImpact":"HIGH","integrityImpact":"HIGH","privilegesRequired":"NONE","scope":"UNCHANGED","userInteraction":"NONE","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","version":"3.1"}}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-287","lang":"en","description":"CWE-287: Improper Authentication","type":"CWE"}]},{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-321","lang":"en","description":"CWE-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key","type":"CWE"}]},{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-798","lang":"en","description":"CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials","type":"CWE"}]},{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-1188","lang":"en","description":"CWE-1188: Insecure Default Initialization of Resource","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"GitHub_M","orgId":"a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa","dateUpdated":"2026-10-13T14:32:12.137Z"},"source":{"advisory":"GHSA-m8rv-5m6m-32ff","discovery":"UNKNOWN"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"timestamp":"2026-10-16T21:59:27.134623Z","id":"CVE-2026-53709","options":[{"Exploitation":"poc"},{"Automatable":"yes"},{"Technical Impact":"total"}],"role":"CISA Coordinator","version":"2.0.3"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-10-16T21:59:50.970Z"}}]}}}