# CVE-2022-26138: Atlassian Questions For Confluence App Hard-coded Credentials

> Remote attackers can log in using hardcoded credentials to access Confluence content via a disabled system user account.

- **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:** Yes, since 29 Jul 2022 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Jul 2022
- **Updated:** 12 Jan 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-23xf-wg9r-49fr

## What is CVE-2022-26138?

CVE-2022-26138 is a critical vulnerability in Atlassian Questions For Confluence, published on 20 Jul 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Atlassian Questions For Confluence app for Confluence Server and Data Center creates a Confluence user account in the confluence-users group with the username disabledsystemuser and a hardcoded password. A remote, unauthenticated attacker with knowledge of the hardcoded password could exploit this to log into Confluence and access all content accessible to users in the confluence-users group. This user account is created when installing versions 2.7.34, 2.7.35, and 3.0.2 of the app.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-26138?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Atlassian Questions for Confluence.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-26138?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-26138 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 19 Aug 2022.

## Is CVE-2022-26138 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2022-26138 in the wild since at least 29 Jul 2022.

Public exploit code:

- Atlassian Questions Hardcoded Password (CVE-2022-26138) (github_poc): https://github.com/alcaparra/CVE-2022-26138
- Confluence Hardcoded Password POC (github_poc): https://github.com/z92g/CVE-2022-26138
- Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center: CVE-2022-26138 (github_poc): https://github.com/Vulnmachines/Confluence-Question-CVE-2022-26138-
- https://github.com/shavchen/CVE-2022-26138 (github_poc): https://github.com/shavchen/CVE-2022-26138
- Atlassian Questions For Confluence - Hardcoded Credentials (nuclei): http/cves/2022/CVE-2022-26138.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Atlassian Questions For Confluence

- [CVE-2018-13393](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-13393/): Cross-site request forgery in Confluence Questions (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2018-13394](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-13394/): Cross-site request forgery in Confluence Questions (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-26138 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-26138 is a critical vulnerability in Atlassian Questions For Confluence, published on 20 Jul 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2022-26138 in the wild since at least 29 Jul 2022.

Affected product: Atlassian Questions For Confluence. 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-2022-26138/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26138/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-26138
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-26138
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-26138

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26138/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.