Installation error: Please change the value of 'Security.salt' in app/config/core.php to a salt value specific to your application

Question

When trying to install CakePHP, I get the following error message about changing the values of the salt and cipher seed. How can I change these values?

Notice (1024): Please change the value of 'Security.salt' in app/config/core.php to a salt value specific to your application [CORE\cake\libs\debugger.php, line 684]
Notice (1024): Please change the value of 'Security.cipherSeed' in app/config/core.php to a numeric (digits only) seed value specific to your application [CORE\cake\libs\debugger.php, line 688]

Answer 1

You just need to do as it says:

1. Edit yourInstallation*/app/config/core.php
2. Search for Security.salt and change some random characters (this is so your application doesn't have the same security seed as a billion other installations, which would be a serious security loophole.
3. Do the same with Security.cipherSeed but use only numbers
4. Save core.php

Now read core.php - you'll learn a lot from doing that.

Answer 2

1. Go to your CakePHP app folder.

2. Enter the config folder and open core.php

3. You will see these lines somewhere:

   /**
    * A random string used in security hashing methods.
    */
   
   
   Configure::write('Security.salt', 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx');
   

   If your CakePHP version is 1.3 or greater then this will also be there:

   /**
    * A random numeric string (digits only) used to encrypt/decrypt strings.
    */
   
   
   Configure::write('Security.cipherSeed', 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx');
   

   Just change the values in:

   Configure::write('Security.cipherSeed', 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx');
   

   to:

   Configure::write('Security.cipherSeed', 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxTxxxxxxxx');
   

   or any of your choice. Just to start you can make whole value blank as well:

   Configure::write('Security.cipherSeed', '');
   
   Configure::write('Security.salt', '');
   

Then save the file, and you're done.

Answer 3

See the cookbook docs - 11.1.4 Optional Configuration