# CVE-2021-35965: Learningdigital.com, Inc. Orca HCM - Hard-code password

> Remote attackers can gain administrator privileges by using a hard-coded default password found in the source code of the Orca HCM platform.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 Jul 2021
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w3wg-762h-q86r

## What is CVE-2021-35965?

CVE-2021-35965 is a critical vulnerability in Learningdigital.com, Inc. Orca HCM, published on 19 Jul 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Orca HCM digital learning platform uses a weak factory default administrator password, which is hard-coded in the source code of the webpage in plain text, thus remote attackers can obtain administrator’s privilege without logging in.

Weakness: CWE-1188 (Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default), CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-35965?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Learningdigital Orca Hcm.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-35965?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-35965 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-35965 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-35965 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Learningdigital.com, Inc. Orca HCM

- [CVE-2025-1387](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-1387/): Learning Digital Orca HCM - Improper Authentication (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-8584](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8584/): LEARNING DIGITAL Orca HCM - Missing Authentication (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-35963](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35963/): Learningdigital.com, Inc. Orca HCM - Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-1388](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-1388/): Learning Digital Orca HCM - Arbitrary File Upload (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2025-1389](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-1389/): Learning Digital Orca HCM - SQL Injection (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-35965 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-35965 is a critical vulnerability in Learningdigital.com, Inc. Orca HCM, published on 19 Jul 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-35965 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Learningdigital.com, Inc. Orca HCM. 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-2021-35965/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35965/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-35965
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-35965
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-35965

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35965/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.