# CVE-2022-38659: HCL BigFix Platform is affected by insecure credential storage

> Insecure credential storage in HCL BigFix Platform allows attackers to potentially decrypt operator credentials on Windows systems.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 17 Dec 2022
- **Updated:** 17 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hp9j-r2qw-j3vw

## What is CVE-2022-38659?

CVE-2022-38659 is a medium-severity vulnerability in HCL Software BigFix Platform, published on 17 Dec 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In specific scenarios, on Windows the operator credentials may be encrypted in a manner that is not completely machine-dependent.

Weakness: CWE-326 (Inadequate Encryption Strength)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-38659?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Hcltech Bigfix Platform.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-38659?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-38659 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-38659 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-38659 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in HCL Software BigFix Platform

- [CVE-2026-21765](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-21765/): HCL BigFix Platform is affected by insecure permissions on private cryptographic keys (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-37519](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-37519/): HCL BigFix Platform is affected by Unathenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2023-37520](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-37520/): HCL BigFix Platform is affected by Unathenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2020-14254](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14254/): Weak cryptography in HCL BigFix Inventory (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2022-42453](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-42453/): HCL BigFix Platform is affected by insufficient warnings (medium 6.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-38659 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-38659 is a medium-severity vulnerability in HCL Software BigFix Platform, published on 17 Dec 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-2022-38659 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: HCL Software BigFix Platform. 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-2022-38659/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38659/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-38659
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38659
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-38659

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38659/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.