# CVE-2022-35720: IBM Sterling External Authentication Server information disclosure

> A local attacker can decrypt sensitive information due to weak cryptographic algorithms used during installation in IBM Sterling products.

- **Severity:** Low 2.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Feb 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j98c-p6qv-fm8c

## What is CVE-2022-35720?

CVE-2022-35720 is a low-severity vulnerability in IBM Sterling External Authentication Server, published on 8 Feb 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Sterling External Authentication Server 6.1.0 and IBM Sterling Secure Proxy 6.0.3 uses weaker than expected cryptographic algorithms during installation that could allow a local attacker to decrypt sensitive information.  IBM X-Force ID:  231373.

Weakness: CWE-327 (Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-35720?

It affects 2 products.


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

## How do I fix CVE-2022-35720?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-35720 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-35720 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-35720 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Sterling External Authentication Server

- [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-2022-35720 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-35720 is a low-severity vulnerability in IBM Sterling External Authentication Server, published on 8 Feb 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-35720 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Sterling External Authentication 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-2022-35720/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35720/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-35720
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-35720
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-35720

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35720/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.