# CVE-2021-38969: Hardcoded credentials in Spectrum Virtualize

> Attackers can gain unauthorized access to IBM Spectrum Virtualize by exploiting reused support-generated credentials.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.6 (`CVSS:3.0/UI:N/S:U/A:L/AC:H/I:L/PR:N/AV:N/C:L/RL:O/RC:C/E:U`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 May 2022
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p8c8-w89w-gvv5

## What is CVE-2021-38969?

CVE-2021-38969 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Virtualize, published on 11 May 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Spectrum Virtualize 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4 could allow an attacker to allow unauthorized access due to the reuse of support generated credentials. IBM X-Force ID: 212609.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-38969?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Spectrum Virtualize.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-38969?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-38969 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-38969 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-38969 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Spectrum Virtualize

- [CVE-2022-43870](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43870/): IBM Spectrum Virtualize information disclosure (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2022-43873](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43873/): IBM Spectrum Virtualize privilege escalation (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2023-27870](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27870/): IBM Spectrum Virtualize information disclosure (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2022-39167](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-39167/): IBM Spectrum Virtualize information disclosure (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2023-25681](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25681/): IBM Spectrum Virtualize security bypass (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-38969 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-38969 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Virtualize, published on 11 May 2022. 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-2021-38969 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Spectrum Virtualize. 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-2021-38969/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38969/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-38969
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38969
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-38969

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38969/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.