CVE-2026-48031: CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials in dhax go-base
go-base is a Go RESTful API Boilerplate template with JWT Authentication, backed by PostgreSQL. In versions prior to 2026-05-18, the JWT signing secret is hardcoded to the known string "random", letting any attacker who reads the public repository forge tokens for arbitrary users, including admin roles, and completely bypass authentication on all protected endpoints. This value is set in two places: the dev.env template (line 10) and a programmatic fallback in cmd/serve.go (line 35), so the application uses it even when no .env file is present. The original mitigation in auth/jwt/tokenauth.go (lines 22 to 25) only caught the exact string "random", letting other weak secrets through, and replaced it with an in-memory key that was not persisted, invalidating all tokens on every restart and effectively causing a denial-of-service. This issue has been fixed in version 2026-05-18.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The go-base project by dhax contained a hardcoded JWT signing secret set to the string "random" in versions before 2026-05-18. This secret was present in both the dev.env template and a programmatic fallback, enabling attackers who can read the public repository to forge JWT tokens for any user, including admins, thereby bypassing authentication on all protected endpoints. The original mitigation only detected the exact string "random" and replaced it with a non-persistent in-memory key, causing token invalidation on restarts and effectively a denial-of-service. The vulnerability has been addressed and fixed in version 2026-05-18.
Potential Impact
Attackers can forge JWT tokens for arbitrary users, including administrators, allowing complete authentication bypass on all protected endpoints. This compromises confidentiality and integrity of the application but does not directly affect availability. The attempted mitigation caused denial-of-service by invalidating tokens on every restart.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade to version 2026-05-18 or later where the hardcoded JWT signing secret issue is fixed. There is no official patch link provided, but the fix is included in the stated version. Until upgrade, do not use the vulnerable versions as the hardcoded secret allows token forgery. Patch status is not explicitly stated as 'official-fix' or 'patchAvailable' but the description confirms the issue is fixed in version 2026-05-18.
CVE-2026-48031: CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials in dhax go-base
Description
go-base is a Go RESTful API Boilerplate template with JWT Authentication, backed by PostgreSQL. In versions prior to 2026-05-18, the JWT signing secret is hardcoded to the known string "random", letting any attacker who reads the public repository forge tokens for arbitrary users, including admin roles, and completely bypass authentication on all protected endpoints. This value is set in two places: the dev.env template (line 10) and a programmatic fallback in cmd/serve.go (line 35), so the application uses it even when no .env file is present. The original mitigation in auth/jwt/tokenauth.go (lines 22 to 25) only caught the exact string "random", letting other weak secrets through, and replaced it with an in-memory key that was not persisted, invalidating all tokens on every restart and effectively causing a denial-of-service. This issue has been fixed in version 2026-05-18.
CVSS v3.1
Score 9.1critical
Affected software
dhax
go-base
pkg:golang/github.com/dhax/go-baseRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The go-base project by dhax contained a hardcoded JWT signing secret set to the string "random" in versions before 2026-05-18. This secret was present in both the dev.env template and a programmatic fallback, enabling attackers who can read the public repository to forge JWT tokens for any user, including admins, thereby bypassing authentication on all protected endpoints. The original mitigation only detected the exact string "random" and replaced it with a non-persistent in-memory key, causing token invalidation on restarts and effectively a denial-of-service. The vulnerability has been addressed and fixed in version 2026-05-18.
Potential Impact
Attackers can forge JWT tokens for arbitrary users, including administrators, allowing complete authentication bypass on all protected endpoints. This compromises confidentiality and integrity of the application but does not directly affect availability. The attempted mitigation caused denial-of-service by invalidating tokens on every restart.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade to version 2026-05-18 or later where the hardcoded JWT signing secret issue is fixed. There is no official patch link provided, but the fix is included in the stated version. Until upgrade, do not use the vulnerable versions as the hardcoded secret allows token forgery. Patch status is not explicitly stated as 'official-fix' or 'patchAvailable' but the description confirms the issue is fixed in version 2026-05-18.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-05-20T18:15:53.577Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a70f0bfbf32cb7a341a778c
Added to database: 08/03/2026, 19:49:19 UTC
Last enriched: 08/03/2026, 20:03:14 UTC
Last updated: 09/17/2026, 22:01:35 UTC
Views: 54
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