CVE-2026-40486: kimai — Exploit & Fix

Description

Kimai is an open-source time tracking application. In versions 2.52.0 and below, the User Preferences API endpoint (PATCH /api/users/{id}/preferences) applies submitted preference values without checking the isEnabled() flag on preference objects. Although the hourly_rate and internal_rate fields are correctly marked as disabled for users lacking the hourly-rate role permission, the API ignores this restriction and saves the values directly. Any authenticated user can modify their own billing rates through this endpoint, resulting in unauthorized financial tampering affecting invoices and timesheet calculations. This issue has been fixed in version 2.53.0.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

4.3

MEDIUM

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0002

Probability of exploitation

0.05%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-915 CWE-915

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
kimai	kimai	< 2.53.0

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/kimai/kimai/security/advisories/GHSA-qh43-xrjm-4ggp

Exploits

https://github.com/kimai/kimai/security/advisories/GHSA-qh43-xrjm-4ggp

Other References

https://github.com/kimai/kimai/releases/tag/2.53.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-40486? +

Kimai is an open-source time tracking application. In versions 2.52.0 and below, the User Preferences API endpoint (PATCH /api/users/{id}/preferences) applies submitted preference values without checking the isEnabled() flag on preference objects. Although the hourly_rate and internal_rate fields are correctly marked as disabled for users lacking the hourly-rate role permission, the API ignores this restriction and saves the values directly. Any authenticated user can modify their own billing rates through this endpoint, resulting in unauthorized financial tampering affecting invoices and timesheet calculations. This issue has been fixed in version 2.53.0. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-40486? +

CVE-2026-40486 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.3 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0002, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-40486? +

CVE-2026-40486 affects products from kimai, specifically: kimai. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-40486? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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