# CVE-2018-18656: Hardcoded credentials in n/a

> The PureVPN Windows client stores login credentials in cleartext, allowing local users to read them and potentially take over accounts.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Oct 2018
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-r5f4-vq84-cr57

## What is CVE-2018-18656?

CVE-2018-18656 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 26 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The PureVPN client before 6.1.0 for Windows stores Login Credentials (username and password) in cleartext. The location of such files is %PROGRAMDATA%\purevpn\config\login.conf. Additionally, all local users can read this file.

Weakness: CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-18656?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Purevpn Purevpn.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-18656?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-18656 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-18656 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-18656 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2018-6822](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6822/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-10204](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-10204/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-7484](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7484/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2023-48957](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-48957/): Information disclosure in n/a (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-18656 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-18656 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 26 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-18656 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-18656/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-18656/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-18656
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-18656
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-18656

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-18656/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.