CVE-2022-38337Network attack vector

Account lockout via hardcoded SFTP abort password

Published Dec 5, 2022 · Updated Apr 24, 2025

Hard-coded credentials in MobaXterm before 22.2 allow remote attackers to block a user's account when an SFTP connection is aborted. The integrated SecureBlackbox-based SFTP client sends the fixed string MobaPasswordCancel as a password to terminate authentication rather than closing cleanly. An abort creates a failed login that can trigger server-side defenses such as fail2ban; if the server accepts the password, client environment data is exposed.

CVSS severity9.1
Critical
EPSS probability0.76%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Hard-coded credentials in MobaXterm before 22.2 allow remote attackers to block a user's account when an SFTP connection is aborted. The integrated SecureBlackbox-based SFTP client sends the fixed string MobaPasswordCancel as a password to terminate authentication rather than closing cleanly. An abort creates a failed login that can trigger server-side defenses such as fail2ban; if the server accepts the password, client environment data is exposed.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-38337
Published
Dec 5, 2022
Updated
Apr 24, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-798
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 5, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 24, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
9.1CISACVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

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

CWE-798Use of Hard-coded Credentials

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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