CVE-2021-20442Network attack vector

Client-secret disclosure via shared hard-coded encryption key

Published Mar 3, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Hard-coded credential use in IBM Verify Bridge before 1.0.5 allows remote attackers to decrypt stored client secrets. The obfuscation logic encrypts every client-secret string with the same embedded key instead of assigning a unique key to each installation. IBM does not disclose how a remote attacker obtains the obfuscated value or embedded key; the published impact is limited to client-secret confidentiality.

CVSS severity5.9
Medium
EPSS probability0.95%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Hard-coded credential use in IBM Verify Bridge before 1.0.5 allows remote attackers to decrypt stored client secrets. The obfuscation logic encrypts every client-secret string with the same embedded key instead of assigning a unique key to each installation. IBM does not disclose how a remote attacker obtains the obfuscated value or embedded key; the published impact is limited to client-secret confidentiality.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-20442
Published
Mar 3, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM Verify Bridge
Classifications
T1552.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 3, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · IBM Verify Bridgeversion=unspecified

Published CVSS scores

5.9IBMCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
5.2IBMCVSS:3.0/AV:N/A:N/S:U/I:N/UI:N/AC:H/PR:N/C:H/RL:O/RC:C/E:U

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1552.001Unsecured Credentials: Credentials In Files

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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