CVE-2023-53957: Kimai/kimai Kimai Contains A SameSite Cookie Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-cv8h-r7r5-vwj9
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-1275
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-53957 is a HIGH (CVSS 9.8) kimai contains a samesite cookie vulnerability (CWE-1275: Sensitive Cookie with Improper SameSite Attribute) affecting Kimai/kimai libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves kimai contains a samesite cookie vulnerability. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2023-53957 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-53957
GHSA Identifier GHSA-cv8h-r7r5-vwj9
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-1275: Sensitive Cookie with Improper SameSite Attribute
Affected Product Kimai/kimai
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

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

How to Fix CVE-2023-53957

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

kimai/kimai fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade kimai/kimai to Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

inspect dependencies for kimai/kimai

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2023-53957, inspect your project dependencies for Kimai/kimai:

inspect dependencies for kimai/kimai

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

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-1275: Sensitive Cookie with Improper SameSite Attribute, where the samesite attribute for sensitive cookies is not set, or an insecure value is used. In Kimai/kimai, 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

Kimai 1.30.10 contains a SameSite cookie vulnerability that allows attackers to steal user session cookies through malicious exploitation. Attackers can trick victims into executing a crafted PHP script that captures and writes session cookie information to a file, enabling potential session hijacking.

CVE-2023-53957 Affected Kimai/kimai Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
kimai/kimai
 Packagist
≤ 1.30.10

References

NVD — CVE-2023-53957 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53957
Kimai/kimai Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/kimai/kimai
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/51278 WEB
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/51278
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/kimai-sa... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/kimai-samesite-cookie-vulnerability-session-hijacking

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-53957?
CVE-2023-53957 is a security vulnerability in Kimai/kimai involving Kimai contains a SameSite cookie vulnerability under CWE-1275: Sensitive Cookie with Improper SameSite Attribute.
Which Kimai/kimai versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: kimai/kimai.
What version fixes CVE-2023-53957?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is kimai/kimai affected?
Yes, kimai/kimai is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-53957?
CVE-2023-53957 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-53957?
CVE-2023-53957 is classified under CWE-1275: Sensitive Cookie with Improper SameSite Attribute (The SameSite attribute for sensitive cookies is not set, or an insecure value is used.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2023-53957?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for kimai/kimai'. 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-cv8h-r7r5-vwj9",
  "modified" : "2026-02-20T18:25:02Z",
  "published" : "2025-12-19T21:30:20Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-53957" ],
  "summary" : "Kimai contains a SameSite cookie vulnerability",
  "details" : "Kimai 1.30.10 contains a SameSite cookie vulnerability that allows attackers to steal user session cookies through malicious exploitation. Attackers can trick victims into executing a crafted PHP script that captures and writes session cookie information to a file, enabling potential session hijacking.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "kimai/kimai"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.30.10"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53957"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/kimai/kimai"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/51278"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/kimai-samesite-cookie-vulnerability-session-hijacking"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1275" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-20T18:25:02Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-12-19T21:15:52Z"
  }
}