Vulnerability · Published Jul 22, 2025 · Assigned by GitHub_M
CVE-2025-54137NodeJS version of the HAX CMS application is distributed with Default Secrets
High 7.3
In plain English
A high-severity security flaw in issues from haxtheweb. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.4% (higher than 34% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official description
HAX CMS NodeJS allows users to manage their microsite universe with a NodeJS backend. Versions 11.0.9 and below were distributed with hardcoded default credentials for the user and superuser accounts. Additionally, the application has default private keys for JWTs. Users aren't prompted to change credentials or secrets during installation, and there is no way to change them through the UI. An unauthenticated attacker can read the default user credentials and JWT private keys from the public haxtheweb GitHub repositories. These credentials and keys can be used to access unconfigured self-hosted instances of the application, modify sites, and perform further attacks. This is fixed in version 11.0.10.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | @haxtheweb/haxcms-nodejs | 11.0.10 | GHSA-5fpv-5qvh-7cf3 |
Affected products (as reported)
Weakness: CWE-1392 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L