Vulnerability · Published Aug 19, 2025 · Assigned by GitHub_M

CVE-2025-55740Default Credentials in nginx-defender Configuration Files

Medium 6.5

In plain English

A medium-severity security flaw in nginx-defender from Anipaleja. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 15% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)6.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 84.9% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

nginx-defender is a high-performance, enterprise-grade Web Application Firewall (WAF) and threat detection system engineered for modern web infrastructure. This is a configuration vulnerability affecting nginx-defender deployments. Example configuration files config.yaml and docker-compose.yml contain default credentials (default_password: "change_me_please", GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=admin123). If users deploy nginx-defender without changing these defaults, attackers with network access could gain administrative control, bypassing security protections. The issue is addressed in v1.5.0 and later.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Gogithub.com/Anipaleja/nginx-defender1.5.0GHSA-pr72-8fxw-xx22
Gogithub.com/Anipaleja/nginx-defender1.5.0GO-2025-3896

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Anipaleja nginx-defender < 1.5.0

Weakness: CWE-1392 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

References