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Axeda AgentApplication · Ptc

CVE-2022-25246

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-03-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.9.1 / 6.9.215 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
Axeda agent (All versions) and Axeda Desktop Server for Windows (All versions) uses hard-coded credentials for its UltraVNC installation. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow a remote authenticated attacker to take full remote control of the host operating system.

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 confidence

The Axeda agent and Axeda Desktop Server for Windows bundle UltraVNC with hard-coded credentials embedded in the installation. A remote attacker who already possesses valid system credentials can exploit these hard-coded VNC credentials to authenticate to the UltraVNC service, effectively gaining full remote control over the host operating system with the same privileges as the compromised account.

MitigationRemove or update affected Axeda installations to eliminate the hard-coded UltraVNC credentials. Implement network segmentation and monitor for unauthorized VNC connections as compensating controls until permanent remediation is complete.

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
Axeda AgentApplication
Affected:< 6.9.1
Axeda Desktop ServerApplication
Affected:< 6.9.215

CVSS 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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Axeda installation
    Check for installed Axeda software using Windows Registry (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall) or installed programs list
    Affected if PTC Axeda Agent or PTC Axeda Desktop Server is present on the system
  2. Determine Axeda version
    Check the installed version of Axeda Agent or Desktop Server in Windows Registry or program properties
    Affected if Version is below 6.9.1 for Axeda Agent or below 6.9.215 for Desktop Server
  3. Locate UltraVNC component
    Search for UltraVNC installation directory within the Axeda program folder, typically under the installation root or a subfolder named UltraVNC
    Affected if UltraVNC binaries (uvnc_service.exe, winvnc.exe) are found bundled with Axeda installation
  4. Check for VNC service
    View running services (services.msc) or check for winvnc.exe process in Task Manager
    Affected if UltraVNC VNC service or process is running on the system

System is affected if Axeda Agent < 6.9.1 or Axeda Desktop Server < 6.9.215 is installed with the bundled UltraVNC component present and running.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.9.1 / 6.9.215 or later
Fixed in 6.9.16.9.215
Interim mitigation

Remove or update affected Axeda installations to eliminate the hard-coded UltraVNC credentials. Implement network segmentation and monitor for unauthorized VNC connections as compensating controls until permanent remediation is complete.

Recommended fix High confidence

Axeda Agent version 6.9.1 or higher; Axeda Desktop Server version 6.9.215 or higher

  1. Identify whether Axeda Agent or Axeda Desktop Server is installed on the system
  2. If Axeda Agent is installed, verify the current version and upgrade to version 6.9.1 or higher
  3. If Axeda Desktop Server is installed, verify the current version and upgrade to version 6.9.215 or higher
  4. After upgrade, verify the UltraVNC installation no longer uses hard-coded credentials
  5. Confirm the upgrade was successful by checking the installed version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Axeda Agent Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-25246 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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