CVE-2022-22502
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.1 and 21.0.2 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting. This vulnerability allows users to embed arbitrary JavaScript code in the Web UI thus altering the intended functionality potentially leading to credentials disclosure within a trusted session. IBM X-Force ID: 227124.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceIBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.1 and 21.0.2 contains a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in its Web UI. Authenticated users can embed arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' sessions, potentially leading to credential disclosure through session hijacking within trusted sessions.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 21.0.1, < 21.0.1.5>= 21.0.2, < 21.0.2.2< 21.0.2.2< 21.0.2.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed IBM RPA versionUse the product's version reporting mechanism (typically via the admin console, about page, or version command in the installation directory) to determine the exact installed version numberAffected if The installed version is 21.0.1.x where x < 5, or 21.0.2.x where x < 2, or any version below 21.0.2.2 for SaaS or Cloud Pak deployments
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Confirm Web UI is accessibleVerify that the IBM RPA Web UI interface is enabled and reachable (typically at the default web port configured during installation)Affected if The Web UI is exposed and accessible to users
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Check for authenticated user sessionsReview user authentication configuration and determine if multiple authenticated users have access to the Web UI applicationAffected if More than one authenticated user or user role has access to the Web UI, creating the condition for cross-user XSS exploitation
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Identify vulnerable input fields in Web UIInspect Web UI forms, profile settings, or configuration areas where user-supplied input is stored and displayed to other users (such as user display names, descriptions, or custom fields)Affected if The Web UI contains input fields that persist data and display it to other users without proper sanitization
Your environment is affected if IBM RPA version is 21.0.1.0 through 21.0.1.4, 21.0.2.0 through 21.0.2.1, or below 21.0.2.2 for SaaS/Cloud Pak, and the Web UI is accessible to authenticated users who can inject malicious scripts into shared fields.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped21.0.1.521.0.2.2
Upgrade IBM Robotic Process Automation to version 21.0.3 or later, which contains the vendor patch for this vulnerability. Alternatively, apply IBM's security patch for X-Force ID 227124.
21.0.1.5 or later for 21.0.1.x line; 21.0.2.2 or later for 21.0.2.x line
- Back up your current IBM Robotic Process Automation installation and configuration
- Download IBM Robotic Process Automation version 21.0.1.5 (if on 21.0.1.x line) or version 21.0.2.2 or later (if on 21.0.2.x line) from IBM Fix Central or your entitled IBM repository
- Install the upgrade following IBM's standard upgrade procedures for Robotic Process Automation
- Verify the upgrade was successful by logging into the Web UI and confirming functionality
- For Cloud Pak and SaaS deployments, contact IBM support to ensure the managed service is updated to version 21.0.2.2 or later
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-22502 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-22502 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data