# CVE-2022-36159: Hardcoded credentials in n/a

> Hardcoded root credentials allow attackers to access the Wireless LAN Manager, open telnet, and inject malware on Contec FXA3200 devices.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/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:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Sep 2022
- **Updated:** 21 May 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8jfv-vfxw-8q23

## What is CVE-2022-36159?

CVE-2022-36159 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 26 Sep 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Contec FXA3200 version 1.13 and under were discovered to contain a hard coded hash password for root stored in the component /etc/shadow. As the password strength is weak, it can be cracked in few minutes. Through this credential, a malicious actor can access the Wireless LAN Manager interface and open the telnet port then sniff the traffic or inject any malware.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-36159?

It affects 4 products.


Products: Contec Fxa2000 Firmware, Contec Fxa3000 Firmware, Contec Fxa3020 Firmware, Contec Fxa3200 Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-36159?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-36159 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-36159 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-36159 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2022-36158](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36158/): Command injection in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-36159 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-36159 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 26 Sep 2022. 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-2022-36159 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2022-36159/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36159/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-36159
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-36159
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-36159

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36159/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.