NOFX AI is an open source automated trading system built on DeepSeek/Qwen AI. SlowMist is facing a serious security crisis due to the discovery of a vulnerability. This could potentially expose your Exchange API key and private key. This issue affects users of major exchanges such as Binance, Hyperliquid, and Aster DEX. Slomist is now urging deployers to take immediate action before attackers exploit these weaknesses and deplete their funds.
Wu Shuo has learned that the SlowMist security team has published a report stating that the open source virtual currency futures automated trading system NOFX AI (based on DeepSeek/Qwen AI) has critical security vulnerabilities that may lead to the disclosure of exchange API keys and private keys. The vulnerability is due to the project turning on “Administrator Mode” by default in multiple versions without performing any authentication checks. Attackers can directly access /api/exchange to obtain Binance, Hyperliquid, Aster…
— Wu Shuo Blockchain (@wublockchain12) November 17, 2025
Administrator mode flaw leaves keys completely exposed
Slowmist began investigating the system after being alerted by security researchers in the community. The team quickly discovered that several versions of NOFX AI shipped in administrator mode. This was enabled by default and even worse, the system did not perform any authentication checks at all. This allows anyone to instantly retrieve sensitive data by simply accessing the public /api/exchanges endpoint. API keys, private keys, wallet private keys, etc.
This issue stems from a commit published on October 31st. This was caused by the administration mode being hard-coded to “true” in the configuration file and database migration script. After that, the server skipped all authentication whenever admin mode was active. Simply put, a NOFX AI instance running with default settings is now effectively unlocked. That means anyone with the link can literally walk in and pick up the key.
Applying the patch did not resolve the underlying issue
Developers attempted to address this issue on November 5th by adding JWT token validation. However, SlowMist found that the patch did little to change things. The default configuration still comes with a publicly known JWT secret. This allows an attacker to generate valid tokens and maintain access to sensitive endpoints. To make matters worse, the core /api/exchanges endpoint continued to return sensitive fields in plain JSON. Nothing was masked or encrypted.
SlowMist also confirmed that the latest dev branch still contains:
- Admin mode is set to “true” by default
- Default JWT keys remain in place
- Sensitive data returned without restriction
The main branch is still using an outdated, zero-authentication version, leaving thousands of deployments widely exposed on the public internet.
Binance and OKX step in to protect users
Once SlowMist realized the scale of the exposure. They contacted Binance and OKX and coordinated emergency protective measures. The team worked together to identify the affected API keys and force a reset for users at risk. All affected CEX users have been notified and their keys have been revoked. However, due to the decentralized wallet structure, the team was unable to contact all Aster and Hyperliquid users. SlowMist is currently asking anyone using NOFX AI on these platforms to review their settings immediately.
User instructed to disable administrator mode and replace key now
SlowMist recommends that all deployers:
- Immediately disable administrator mode
- Replace all API keys and secret keys
- Change the JWT secret to a strong random value.
- Restrict sensitive endpoints
- Avoid exposing NOFX AI directly to the public internet
Open source AI trading tools are growing rapidly. However, this case highlights the risks of deploying early-stage systems without a thorough security audit. Until NOFX AI fully fixes these flaws, users should treat public deployments as high risk.
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