# CVE-2026-97877: zhistaredu StarTraining hardcoded JWT secret in JWT Token Handler

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97877-a-vulnerability-was-determined-in-zhistaredu-startraining-up-to-3  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-25. Updated: 2026-09-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-97877 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.3 · Published 2026-09-25

StarTraining is a training management application that uses JWT tokens to authenticate users to its APIs. An attacker can forge authentication tokens for any user without credentials by exploiting a hardcoded JWT secret embedded in the application configuration, gaining full API access impersonating legitimate users.

Technologies: [Zhistaredu StarTraining](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/startraining). Vendors: [Zhistaredu](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/zhistaredu).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-97877 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-97877 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-97877?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.3, published 25 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Zhistaredu StarTraining up to 3.8.1.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-97877?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-97877 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-97877?** Check whether you run Zhistaredu StarTraining at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability exists in UserLoginService.createToken() which signs JWT tokens using a hardcoded 26-character secret (abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz) defined in application.yml, combined with the lack of token expiration claims. An unauthenticated attacker can forge HS512 JWT tokens offline for arbitrary user_id and company_id values, then use these tokens to access protected API endpoints such as /system/user/getUserInfo. No remediation is present in versions up to 3.8.1; the vendor did not respond to early disclosure.

## Affected products

- zhistaredu StarTraining up to 3.8.1

## Timeline

- 2026-09-25: disclosed: Public disclosure via GitHub advisory

## References

- [https://github.com/ArrestX/startraining-advisories/blob/main/advisories/ST-VULN-001-jwt-hardcoded-secret-forge.md](https://github.com/ArrestX/startraining-advisories/blob/main/advisories/ST-VULN-001-jwt-hardcoded-secret-forge.md)
- [https://vuldb.com/cve/CVE-2026-97877](https://vuldb.com/cve/CVE-2026-97877)

## Related threats

- [zhistaredu StarTraining missing authorization in role management](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-100879-a-security-flaw-has-been-discovered-in-zhistaredu-startraining)
- [zhistaredu StarTraining authorization bypass in authRole endpoint](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-100878-a-vulnerability-was-identified-in-zhistaredu-startraining-up-to)
- [zhistaredu StarTraining missing authentication in api-docs endpoint](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97879-a-security-flaw-has-been-discovered-in-zhistaredu-startraining-up)
- [zhistaredu StarTraining authentication bypass in Druid Console](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97878-a-vulnerability-was-identified-in-zhistaredu-startraining-up-to-3)