dbcve.org
Bigfix Server AutomationApplication · Hcltech

CVE-2022-38658

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-12-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 3.2.1 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
BigFix deployments that have installed the Notification Service on Windows are susceptible to disclosing SMTP BigFix operator's sensitive data in clear text. Operators who use Notification Service related content from BES Support are at risk of leaving their SMTP sensitive data exposed.

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 confidence

The BigFix Notification Service on Windows stores or transmits SMTP credentials for BigFix operators in cleartext, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive notification configuration data. This affects deployments using BES Support content related to the Notification Service.

MitigationReview and secure SMTP credential configurations in the BigFix Notification Service, ensuring credentials are stored encrypted rather than in cleartext. Apply any available BigFix patches addressing credential handling.

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
Bigfix Server AutomationApplication
Affected:<= 3.2.1

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

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

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

  1. Verify BigFix Server Automation installation
    Check for BigFix Server Automation installation on Windows via Programs and Features or the Windows installer registry (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall).
    Affected if BigFix Server Automation is installed and version is 3.2.1 or lower.
  2. Confirm installed version number
    Locate the BigFix Server Automation version information in the Windows registry or installation directory, typically found in the product's about or version dialog.
    Affected if Installed version is 3.2.1 or any version lower than 3.2.1.
  3. Identify if Notification Service component is enabled
    Check the BigFix Server Automation configuration for the Notification Service module. This is typically managed through the BigFix console or configuration files in the installation directory.
    Affected if The Notification Service component is present and configured for use.
  4. Locate SMTP credential storage location
    Examine configuration files, database entries, or registry keys associated with the BigFix Notification Service where SMTP settings are stored. Look for files such as config.xml, notificationsettings.config, or similar configuration files in the BigFix installation directory.
    Affected if SMTP credentials (username/password) are found stored in plain text format in configuration files, database fields, or registry values.
  5. Verify credential transmission method
    Inspect network traffic or logs related to the Notification Service to determine if SMTP credentials are transmitted without encryption during communication with the mail server.
    Affected if SMTP credentials are transmitted in cleartext during Notification Service operations.

Your environment is affected if BigFix Server Automation version 3.2.1 or earlier is installed with the Notification Service component enabled and SMTP credentials are stored or transmitted in unencrypted cleartext format.

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 a release after 3.2.1
Interim mitigation

Review and secure SMTP credential configurations in the BigFix Notification Service, ensuring credentials are stored encrypted rather than in cleartext. Apply any available BigFix patches addressing credential handling.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

A version of BigFix Server Automation greater than 3.2.1 (refer to HCL security bulletin for exact fixed release)

  1. 1. Identify all BigFix Server Automation installations running version 3.2.1 or earlier with Notification Service enabled on Windows.
  2. 2. Review the HCL Tech Software support portal (support.hcltechsw.com) for the specific security bulletin related to CVE-2022-38658.
  3. 3. Obtain and apply the patched version of BigFix Server Automation as specified in the security bulletin.
  4. 4. After patching, verify that SMTP credentials stored by the Notification Service are no longer stored in clear text.
  5. 5. Consider rotating SMTP credentials as a precautionary measure after applying the security update.

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

Fix this in Bigfix Server Automation Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2022-38658 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