# CVE-2021-29728: Hardcoded credentials in Sterling Secure Proxy

> IBM Sterling Secure Proxy contains hard-coded credentials allowing attackers to bypass authentication and access internal data or external communications.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.9 (`CVSS:3.0/S:U/I:N/C:H/PR:H/A:N/AV:N/AC:L/UI:N/E:U/RC:C/RL:O`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 30 Aug 2021
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q8x6-pfjx-mfjg

## What is CVE-2021-29728?

CVE-2021-29728 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Sterling Secure Proxy, published on 30 Aug 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Sterling Secure Proxy 6.0.1, 6.0.2, 2.4.3.2, and 3.4.3.2 contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key, which it uses for its own inbound authentication, outbound communication to external components, or encryption of internal data. IBM X-Force ID: 201160.

Weakness: CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-29728?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Sterling External Authentication Server, Ibm Sterling Secure Proxy.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-29728?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-29728 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-29728 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-29728 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Sterling Secure Proxy

- [CVE-2020-4462](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4462/): XML external entity in External Authentication Server (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2013-0517](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-0517/): Command injection in Sterling External Authentication Server (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-22336](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22336/): Denial of service in Sterling Secure Proxy (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2022-22333](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22333/): Memory corruption in Sterling Secure Proxy (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-29722](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29722/): Weak cryptography in Sterling Secure Proxy (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-29728 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-29728 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Sterling Secure Proxy, published on 30 Aug 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-29728 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Sterling Secure Proxy. 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-2021-29728/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29728/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-29728
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29728
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-29728

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29728/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.