title: Apache Superset: Session validation vulnerability when using provided default SECRET_KEY
description: Session Validation attacks in Apache Superset versions up to and including 2.0.1. Installations that have not altered the default configured SECRET_KEY according to installation instructions allow for an attacker to authenticate and access unauthorized resources. This does not affect Superset administrators who have changed the default value for SECRET_KEY config.
All superset installations should always set a unique secure random SECRET_KEY. Your SECRET_KEY is used to securely sign all session cookies and encrypting sensitive information on the database.
Add a strong SECRET_KEY to your `superset_config.py` file like:
SECRET_KEY = <YOUR_OWN_RANDOM_GENERATED_SECRET_KEY>
Alternatively you can set it with `SUPERSET_SECRET_KEY` environment variable.
problem types: CWE-1188 Insecure Default Initialization of Resource
affected:
{
defaultStatus: unaffected
product: Apache Superset
vendor: Apache Software Foundation
versions:
lessThanOrEqual: 2.0.1, status: affected, version: 0, versionType: semver
}
metrics:
cvssV3_1: [
attackComplexity: HIGH
attackVector: NETWORK
availabilityImpact: LOW
baseScore: 8.9
baseSeverity: HIGH
confidentialityImpact: HIGH
integrityImpact: HIGH
privilegesRequired: NONE
scope: CHANGED
userInteraction: NONE
vectorString: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
version: 3.1
]
format: CVSS
scenarios: GENERAL