GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh: Flowise Weak Default Express Session Secret Vulnerability

MODERATE
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CVSS 5.6
CWE-798
Published
Advisory Summary

GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.6) weak default express session secret vulnerability (CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials) affecting Flowise libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves weak default express session secret. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.1.0.

GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh at a Glance

CVE Identifier N/A
GHSA Identifier GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.6
CWE Classification CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials
Affected Product Flowise
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.6

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required High (PR:H)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Flowise dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

flowise fixed: 3.1.0 
npm install flowise@3.1.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls flowise

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls flowise

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Flowise in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.1.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls flowise command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials, where the product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key. In Flowise, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

**Detection Method:** Kolega.dev Deep Code Scan | Attribute | Value | |---|---| | Location | packages/server/src/enterprise/middleware/passport/index.ts:55 | | Practical Exploitability | High | | Developer Approver | faizan@kolega.ai | ### Description Express session secret has a weak default value 'flowise' when EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET is not set. ### Affected Code ``` secret: process.env.EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET || 'flowise' ``` ### Evidence The default session secret 'flowise' is publicly visible and weak. Session cookies signed with this secret can be forged by attackers. ### Impact Session hijacking and forgery - attackers can create arbitrary session cookies to impersonate any user, bypassing all authentication mechanisms. ### Recommendation Require EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET to be set with a strong random value. Throw an error on startup if not configured. Use cryptographically strong random strings (minimum 256 bits). ### Notes The Express session secret defaults to the string 'flowise' when EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET is not set (line 55). This secret is used to sign session cookies via express-session middleware. Since 'flowise' is publicly visible in the source code, an attacker can forge valid session cookies to impersonate any user without authentication. The .env.example file has this commented out (# EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET=flowise), implying it's optional, which compounds the risk. Unlike development-only defaults, this code path is active in production if the environment variable is not set. The application should require EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET to be explicitly configured with a cryptographically strong random value and fail to start otherwise.

GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh Affected Flowise Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.1.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
flowise
npm/flowise
npm
< 3.1.0
3.1.0

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/FlowiseAI/Flowise/security/advisories/GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh
Flowise Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/FlowiseAI/Flowise

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh?
GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh is a security vulnerability in Flowise involving Weak Default Express Session Secret under CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials.
Which Flowise versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.1.0 across affected packages: flowise.
What version fixes GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh?
Upgrading to 3.1.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is flowise affected?
Yes, flowise is affected in releases prior to 3.1.0. Upgrade your dependency to 3.1.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh?
GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.6 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh?
GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh is classified under CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials (The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key.).
How can I check npm dependencies for GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls flowise'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh",
  "modified" : "2026-04-16T21:22:00Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-16T21:22:00Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "Flowise: Weak Default Express Session Secret",
  "details" : "**Detection Method:** Kolega.dev Deep Code Scan\n\n| Attribute | Value |\n|---|---|\n| Location | packages/server/src/enterprise/middleware/passport/index.ts:55 |\n| Practical Exploitability | High |\n| Developer Approver | faizan@kolega.ai |\n\n### Description\nExpress session secret has a weak default value 'flowise' when EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET is not set.\n\n### Affected Code\n```\nsecret: process.env.EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET || 'flowise'\n```\n\n### Evidence\nThe default session secret 'flowise' is publicly visible and weak. Session cookies signed with this secret can be forged by attackers.\n\n### Impact\nSession hijacking and forgery - attackers can create arbitrary session cookies to impersonate any user, bypassing all authentication mechanisms.\n\n### Recommendation\nRequire EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET to be set with a strong random value. Throw an error on startup if not configured. Use cryptographically strong random strings (minimum 256 bits).\n\n### Notes\nThe Express session secret defaults to the string 'flowise' when EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET is not set (line 55). This secret is used to sign session cookies via express-session middleware. Since 'flowise' is publicly visible in the source code, an attacker can forge valid session cookies to impersonate any user without authentication. The .env.example file has this commented out (# EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET=flowise), implying it's optional, which compounds the risk. Unlike development-only defaults, this code path is active in production if the environment variable is not set. The application should require EXPRESS_SESSION_SECRET to be explicitly configured with a cryptographically strong random value and fail to start otherwise.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "flowise"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.0"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.0.13"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FlowiseAI/Flowise/security/advisories/GHSA-2qqc-p94c-hxwh"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FlowiseAI/Flowise"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-798" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-16T21:22:00Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}