Summary
Kimai: ExportTemplate CRUD Missing Authorization Check Allows Unauthorized TEAMLEAD Access
The ExportController web routes for creating and editing export templates are gated only by the class-level create_export permission, which is granted to ROLE_TEAMLEAD by default. The corresponding API routes and UI button visibility correctly require the stricter create_export_template permission, which is granted only to ROLE_ADMIN and ROLE_SUPER_ADMIN. A TEAMLEAD user can directly access the template create/edit routes to create or modify global export templates that are visible to all users including administrators.
Details
The ExportController applies the class-level annotation #[IsGranted('create_export')].
The createExportTemplate (line 210) and editExportTemplate (line 220) methods have no method-level #[IsGranted('create_export_template')] annotation. The permission hierarchy in config/packages/kimai.yaml:103,115,122-123 grants create_export to ROLE_TEAMLEAD via the EXPORT permission set, but create_export_template only to ROLE_ADMIN and ROLE_SUPER_ADMIN.
The API controller correctly requires create_export_template. The UI template (templates/export/index.html.twig:124) correctly hides the create button behind create_export_template. Only the web controller routes are missing the check.
ExportTemplate entities are global, they have no per-user or per-team scoping (src/Entity/ExportTemplate.php:19-56). Any template created or modified by a TEAMLEAD which is marked as "Available for all users" is visible to and usable by every user in the instance.
A PoC was provided, but removed for security reasons.
Impact
Any user with ROLE_TEAMLEAD can create and modify global export templates intended to be managed only by administrators. The templates control the structure and content of exported data (columns, renderer, format). While the impact is limited to data integrity manipulation of a non-security-critical resource (no RCE, no credential exposure), it violates the intended permission boundary and allows a lower-privileged user to influence the data output format used by all users including administrators.
The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.
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.
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The permission check #[IsGranted('create_export_template')] was added to the ExportController covering the methods createExportTemplate() and editExportTemplate.
See https://www.kimai.org/en/security/ghsa-rw46-qg69-vg6h for more details.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-52828? CVE-2026-52828 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in kimai/kimai (composer), affecting versions <= 2.57.0. It is fixed in 2.58.0. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
- Which versions of kimai/kimai are affected by CVE-2026-52828? kimai/kimai (composer) versions <= 2.57.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-52828? Yes. CVE-2026-52828 is fixed in 2.58.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-52828 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-52828 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-2026-52828 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-2026-52828? Upgrade
kimai/kimaito 2.58.0 or later.