CVE-2026-61740: CWE-287: Improper Authentication in HKUDS LightRAG
LightRAG provides simple and fast retrieval-augmented generation. Prior to 1.5.4, when LightRAG is deployed with LIGHTRAG_API_KEY set but AUTH_ACCOUNTS unset, X-API-Key protection can be bypassed because lightrag/api/auth.py falls back to a hardcoded DEFAULT_TOKEN_SECRET, /auth-status and /login can mint guest JWTs, and combined_dependency in lightrag/api/utils_api.py accepts a valid guest token before checking the API key. A remote unauthenticated attacker can call endpoints guarded by combined_auth, including document read, upload, deletion, graph mutation, and query endpoints. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.5.4.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
LightRAG prior to version 1.5.4 suffers from an improper authentication vulnerability (CWE-287) because when LIGHTRAG_API_KEY is configured but AUTH_ACCOUNTS is not set, the authentication logic falls back to a hardcoded DEFAULT_TOKEN_SECRET. This fallback enables unauthenticated attackers to bypass X-API-Key protection by minting guest JWTs via the /auth-status and /login endpoints. The combined_dependency function accepts these guest tokens before verifying the API key, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive endpoints such as document read, upload, deletion, graph mutation, and query. The vulnerability is addressed in LightRAG version 1.5.4.
Potential Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker can bypass API key protections and gain unauthorized access to multiple sensitive endpoints, including document management and graph mutation functions. This can lead to unauthorized data access, modification, and deletion. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 9.3 (critical), reflecting the high impact and ease of exploitation without any privileges or user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
This vulnerability is fixed in LightRAG version 1.5.4. Users should upgrade to version 1.5.4 or later to remediate this issue. No official patch or temporary fix is indicated beyond upgrading. Until upgrading, ensure that both LIGHTRAG_API_KEY and AUTH_ACCOUNTS are properly configured to avoid fallback to the default token secret.
CVE-2026-61740: CWE-287: Improper Authentication in HKUDS LightRAG
Description
LightRAG provides simple and fast retrieval-augmented generation. Prior to 1.5.4, when LightRAG is deployed with LIGHTRAG_API_KEY set but AUTH_ACCOUNTS unset, X-API-Key protection can be bypassed because lightrag/api/auth.py falls back to a hardcoded DEFAULT_TOKEN_SECRET, /auth-status and /login can mint guest JWTs, and combined_dependency in lightrag/api/utils_api.py accepts a valid guest token before checking the API key. A remote unauthenticated attacker can call endpoints guarded by combined_auth, including document read, upload, deletion, graph mutation, and query endpoints. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.5.4.
CVSS v4.0
Score 9.3critical
Affected software
Run on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
LightRAG prior to version 1.5.4 suffers from an improper authentication vulnerability (CWE-287) because when LIGHTRAG_API_KEY is configured but AUTH_ACCOUNTS is not set, the authentication logic falls back to a hardcoded DEFAULT_TOKEN_SECRET. This fallback enables unauthenticated attackers to bypass X-API-Key protection by minting guest JWTs via the /auth-status and /login endpoints. The combined_dependency function accepts these guest tokens before verifying the API key, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive endpoints such as document read, upload, deletion, graph mutation, and query. The vulnerability is addressed in LightRAG version 1.5.4.
Potential Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker can bypass API key protections and gain unauthorized access to multiple sensitive endpoints, including document management and graph mutation functions. This can lead to unauthorized data access, modification, and deletion. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 9.3 (critical), reflecting the high impact and ease of exploitation without any privileges or user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
This vulnerability is fixed in LightRAG version 1.5.4. Users should upgrade to version 1.5.4 or later to remediate this issue. No official patch or temporary fix is indicated beyond upgrading. Until upgrading, ensure that both LIGHTRAG_API_KEY and AUTH_ACCOUNTS are properly configured to avoid fallback to the default token secret.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-07-10T18:59:00.047Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a579dd168715ace43e954db
Added to database: 07/15/2026, 14:48:49 UTC
Last enriched: 07/15/2026, 15:02:46 UTC
Last updated: 07/15/2026, 16:03:40 UTC
Views: 5
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.