CVE-2022-36781
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 · uneditedConnectWise ScreenConnect versions 22.6 and below contained a flaw allowing potential brute force attacks on custom access tokens due to inadequate rate-limiting controls in the default configuration. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access by repeatedly attempting access code combinations. ConnectWise has addressed this issue in later versions by implementing rate-limiting controls as a preventive measure against brute force attacks.
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 · moderate confidenceConnectWise ScreenConnect versions 22.6 and below had inadequate rate-limiting controls for custom access tokens in the default configuration, allowing attackers to perform brute force attacks by repeatedly guessing access code combinations without being throttled or blocked.
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< 22.7CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/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.
-
Identify installed ScreenConnect versionCheck the ScreenConnect server for its installed version number. This is typically visible in the Control/Admin panel under About or System Information, or can be found in the installation directory's version info.Affected if The installed version is 22.6 or lower (any version below 22.7)
-
Confirm custom access token feature is in useCheck if the ScreenConnect instance has custom access tokens configured or enabled. This is typically found in Security Settings, Access Control, or Authentication settings within the ScreenConnect admin interface.Affected if Custom access tokens are created, enabled, or used for authentication
-
Verify rate-limiting is enabledCheck the ScreenConnect security configuration for rate-limiting or account lockout settings related to access token authentication. Look for options controlling failed login attempts or code guessing.Affected if Rate-limiting for access tokens is disabled, not configured, or set to allow unlimited attempts
You are affected if your ScreenConnect version is below 22.7 AND custom access tokens are enabled AND rate-limiting for token authentication is disabled or insufficient.
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 · scoped22.7
Upgrade to a ConnectWise ScreenConnect version later than 22.6 which includes built-in rate-limiting controls. Consider implementing external rate-limiting (WAF or network-level firewall) as a compensating control if immediate patching is not feasible.
ScreenConnect 22.7 or later
- Identify the current ScreenConnect version in use by checking the application or system information
- Confirm the version is 22.6 or below (affected versions)
- Backup the ScreenConnect database and configuration files before proceeding
- Download ScreenConnect version 22.7 or later from the official ConnectWise vendor site
- Review the upgrade documentation provided by ConnectWise for version 22.7+
- Execute the upgrade following vendor instructions, ensuring the upgrade process completes successfully
- After upgrade, verify rate-limiting controls are enabled in the default configuration
- Test that custom access tokens now have adequate rate-limiting protection against brute force attacks
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-36781 — 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-2022-36781 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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