CVE-2021-38976

Local credential disclosure via cleartext storage

Published Nov 15, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Cleartext credential storage in IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.1.1 allows local users to read credentials. IBM states that the product stores user credentials as plain clear text but has not disclosed the file, database field, or code path responsible. A local user with access to the exposed storage can recover credentials; no integrity or availability impact is reported.

CVSS severity6.2
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Cleartext credential storage in IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.1.1 allows local users to read credentials. IBM states that the product stores user credentials as plain clear text but has not disclosed the file, database field, or code path responsible. A local user with access to the exposed storage can recover credentials; no integrity or availability impact is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-38976
Published
Nov 15, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager
Classifications
CWE-522, T1555
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 15, 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=3.0
  2. Affected versionversion=3.0.0.4
  3. Affected versionversion=3.0.1
  4. Affected versionversion=3.0.1.5
  5. Affected versionversion=4.0
  6. Affected versionversion=4.0.0.3
  7. Affected versionversion=4.1
  8. Affected versionversion=4.1.0.1
  9. Affected versionversion=4.1.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

IBM · IBM Guardium Key Lifecycle Managerversion=3.0; version=3.0.0.4; version=3.0.1; version=3.0.1.5; version=4.0; version=4.0.0.3; version=4.1; version=4.1.0.1; version=4.1.1

Published CVSS scores

2.1NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
6.2IBM CorporationCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-522Insufficiently Protected Credentials
T1555Credentials from Password Stores

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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