---
title: "CVE-2026-56265: Crawl4AI: authentication bypass vulnerability due to a hardcoded default JWT signing key in the Docker API server"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-56265/
description: "CVE-2026-56265 (crawl4ai (PyPI)): Crawl4AI before 0.8.7 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability due to a hardcoded default JWT signing key in the…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-06-21
date_modified: 2026-09-14
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-56265"
kev: false
cvss: 9.3
epss: 0.02639
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-56265: Crawl4AI: authentication bypass vulnerability due to a hardcoded default JWT signing key in the Docker API server

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 2.6% , percentile 85: FIRST’s model estimates a 2.6% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 85% of all scored CVEs (elevated). 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 crawl4ai (PyPI) < 0.8.7, fixed in 0.8.7 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

Crawl4AI before 0.8.7 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability due to a hardcoded default JWT signing key in the Docker API server. Attackers who know the default key can forge valid authentication tokens for any user, bypassing authentication and gaining full access to protected functionality.

## Affected packages

- PyPI `crawl4ai` < 0.8.7 → fixed: 0.8.7

## Affected products (CVE record)

- Crawl4AI Crawl4AI: < 0.8.7

## Severity

- VulnCheck CVSS 4.0: 9.3 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`
- VulnCheck CVSS 3.1: 9.8 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 4.0: 9.3 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 2.64% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 85.

## Sources

- [Vendor advisory (github.com)](https://github.com/unclecode/crawl4ai/security/advisories/GHSA-365w-hqf6-vxfg)
- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-8qrg-7j2f-rf2h](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-8qrg-7j2f-rf2h)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-56265](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-56265)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-56265](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-56265)
- [github.com](https://github.com/unclecode/crawl4ai)
- [VulnCheck Advisory: Crawl4AI - Authentication Bypass via Hardcoded JWT Signing Key](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/crawl4ai-authentication-bypass-via-hardcoded-jwt-signing-key)
- [github.com](https://github.com/unclecode/crawl4ai/releases/tag/v0.8.7)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-56265/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt