Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2026-45091: sealed-env: TOTP secret embedded in unseal token payload (enterprise mode)
sealed-env is a cross-stack, zero-trust secret management library for Node.js and Java/Spring Boot.
CVSS 9.1 Critical EPSS 0.4% · p34
Should you act?
Critical and remotely reachable
No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.4%, percentile 34: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.4% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 34% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
sealed-env(npm) < 0.1.0-alpha.4, fixed in 0.1.0-alpha.4;io.github.davidalmeidac:sealed-env-core(Maven) < 0.1.0-alpha.4, fixed in 0.1.0-alpha.4. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
sealed-env is a cross-stack, zero-trust secret management library for Node.js and Java/Spring Boot. In sealed-env enterprise mode, versions 0.1.0-alpha.1 through 0.1.0-alpha.3 embedded the operator's literal TOTP secret in the JWS payload of every minted unseal token. JWS payload is base64-encoded JSON, NOT encrypted. Any party who could observe a minted token (CI build logs, container env dumps, kubectl describe pod, Sentry/Rollbar stack traces, log aggregators) could decode the payload and extract the TOTP secret in plaintext. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.1.0-alpha.4.
From the GitHub advisory
In sealed-env enterprise mode, versions 0.1.0-alpha.1 through 0.1.0-alpha.3 embedded the operator's literal TOTP secret in the JWS payload of every minted unseal token. JWS payload is base64-encoded JSON, NOT encrypted. Any party who could observe a minted token (CI build logs, container env dumps, kubectl describe pod, Sentry/Rollbar stack traces, log aggregators) could decode the payload and extract the TOTP secret in plaintext.
An attacker with (a) the master key (e.g. from a separate compromise such as a leaked CI secret) and (b) any single leaked unseal token can use the extracted TOTP secret to mint new valid unseal tokens for any future deploy indefinitely, breaking the second-factor property the library claimed.
Patched in 0.1.0-alpha.4 by replacing the embedded secret with a salt-bound HMAC derivative (enterpriseepoch = HMAC(totpSecret, salt || "epoch-v1")). The TOTP secret never leaves the operator's machine in the new design. The wire format change is incompatible — files sealed by affected versions must be re-sealed and the TOTP secret rotated. Full migration playbook in CHANGELOG.md.
Reported by an external reviewer who decoded the payload of a real minted token and confirmed bit-for-bit equality with the operator's .env.local TOTP secret.
Weakness type: CWE-200, CWE-522.
Product: sealed-env (npm) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2026-05-12
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | sealed-env | < 0.1.0-alpha.4 | 0.1.0-alpha.4 |
| Maven | io.github.davidalmeidac:sealed-env-core | < 0.1.0-alpha.4 | 0.1.0-alpha.4 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| davidalmeidac | sealed-env | < 0.1.0-alpha.4 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_M | 3.1 | 9.1 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N |
| GitHub | 3.1 | 9.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: unchanged
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.40% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 34.
Timeline
- — CVE record last updated
- — CVE record published by GitHub_M
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-x3r2-fj3r-g5mv published (critical)
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-x3r2-fj3r-g5mv github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-45091 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-45091 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- github.com github.com