Summary
hippo4j 1.0.0 to 1.5.0, uses a hard-coded secret key in its JWT (JSON Web Token) creation. This allows attackers with access to the source code or compiled binary to forge valid access tokens and impersonate any user, including privileged ones such as "admin". The vulnerability poses a critical security risk in systems where authentication and authorization rely on the integrity of JWTs.
Impact
Credentials are embedded in source code or a binary, making them accessible to anyone who can read the artifact. Typical impact: unauthorized access using the static credential.
CVE-2025-51606 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
In the interim: Remove hard-coded credentials and supply them at runtime via environment variables or a secrets manager. Rotate any exposed credentials immediately.
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-51606? CVE-2025-51606 is a high-severity use of hard-coded credentials vulnerability in cn.hippo4j:hippo4j-core (maven), affecting versions >= 1.0.0, <= 1.5.0. No fixed version is listed yet. Credentials are embedded in source code or a binary, making them accessible to anyone who can read the artifact.
- How severe is CVE-2025-51606? CVE-2025-51606 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of cn.hippo4j:hippo4j-core are affected by CVE-2025-51606? cn.hippo4j:hippo4j-core (maven) versions >= 1.0.0, <= 1.5.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-51606? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-51606 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-51606 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-51606 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-51606 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2025-51606? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Remove hard-coded credentials and supply them at runtime via environment variables or a secrets manager. Rotate any exposed credentials immediately.