# CVE-2022-22485: Auth bypass in Spectrum Protect Server

> Attackers can bypass login attempt limits to brute force administrative access to the IBM Spectrum Protect Server.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:3.0/AC:H/S:U/UI:N/AV:N/A:N/I:N/C:H/PR:N/RC:C/RL:O/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:** 17 Jun 2022
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-36gp-vh35-q2p5

## What is CVE-2022-22485?

CVE-2022-22485 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Protect Server, published on 17 Jun 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In some cases, an unsuccessful attempt to log into IBM Spectrum Protect Operations Center 8.1.0.000 through 8.1.14.000 does not cause the administrator's invalid sign-on count to be incremented on the IBM Spectrum Protect Server. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability using brute force techniques to gain unauthorized administrative access to the IBM Spectrum Protect Server. IBM X-Force ID: 226325.

Weakness: CWE-307 (Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-22485?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Spectrum Protect Operations Center.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-22485?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-22485 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-22485 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-22485 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Spectrum Protect Server

- [CVE-2019-4087](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-4087/): Memory corruption in Spectrum Protect (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-4693](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4693/): Code injection in Spectrum Protect Operations Center (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2020-4955](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4955/): File upload in Spectrum Protect Operations Center (high 8.0)
- [CVE-2019-4088](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-4088/): Privilege escalation in Spectrum Protect (high 7.4)
- [CVE-2020-4771](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4771/): Auth bypass in Spectrum Protect Operations Center (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-22485 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-22485 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in IBM Spectrum Protect Server, published on 17 Jun 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-2022-22485 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Spectrum Protect Server. 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-2022-22485/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22485/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-22485
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-22485
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-22485

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22485/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.