CVE-2022-40756
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 · uneditedIf folder security is misconfigured for Actian Zen PSQL BEFORE Patch Update 1 for Zen 15 SP1 (v15.11.005), Patch Update 4 for Zen 15 (v15.01.017), or Patch Update 5 for Zen 14 SP2 (v14.21.022), it can allow an attacker (with file read/write access) to remove specific security files in order to reset the master password and gain access to the database.
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 confidenceActian Zen PSQL contains a folder security misconfiguration that allows an attacker with file read/write access to delete specific security files, enabling master password reset and unauthorized database access. This affects specific patch levels of Zen 14 SP2, Zen 15, and Zen 15 SP1.
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>= 11, <= 13>= 14.0, < 14.21.022>= 15.0, < 15.01.017CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Actian Zen versionOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'wmic product get name,version' or check the Zen Control Center for the version informationAffected if Version is Zen 14.0 through 14.21.021 (less than 14.21.022), or Zen 15.0 through 15.01.016 (less than 15.01.017)
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Locate Zen security files directoryCheck the Zen installation directory (typically under C:\Program Files\Actian\Zen\) for folders containing security-related files such as .sec, .key, or password configuration filesAffected if The directory contains security files and is present on the system
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Verify folder permissions on security directoryRight-click the security folder > Properties > Security tab. Check which users/groups have Write or Delete permissions. Use 'icacls <folderpath>' from command prompt to list explicit permissionsAffected if Users other than Administrators or SYSTEM have Delete or Write permissions to the security folder
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Check for absence of security filesList the contents of the security directory. Look for missing or deleted security files (typically .sec or key files) that should be present for normal operationAffected if Expected security files are missing or have been recently deleted/modified
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Verify master password integrityAttempt to access Zen Control Center or use Zen utilities to verify the master password state. Check if password reset capability exists without proper authenticationAffected if Master password can be reset or bypassed without proper credentials
A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable Zen version (14.0-14.21.021 or 15.0-15.01.016) AND the security folder has overly permissive write/delete access for non-admin users.
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 · scoped14.21.02215.01.017
Apply the relevant patch updates (v14.21.022, v15.01.017, or v15.11.005 or later) and verify proper folder security permissions are configured to prevent unauthorized deletion of security files.
Zen 14.x -> v14.21.022 (Patch Update 5) or later; Zen 15.x -> v15.01.017 (Patch Update 4) or later; Zen 15 SP1 -> v15.11.005 or later
- 1. Identify the current version of Actian Zen/PSQL installed by checking the About or version information in the Zen Control Center or Psoql utilities.
- 2. Determine which Zen branch is in use (Zen 14.x, Zen 15.x, or Zen 15 SP1) to identify the appropriate fixed version.
- 3. Download the appropriate patch or upgrade package from Actian: For Zen 14.x upgrade to v14.21.022 or later; for Zen 15.x upgrade to v15.01.017 or later; for Zen 15 SP1 upgrade to v15.11.005 or later.
- 4. Back up all critical databases and configuration files before applying the upgrade.
- 5. Apply the patch or upgrade following the Actian installation and upgrade documentation specific to the Zen version.
- 6. After upgrade, verify that folder security permissions are properly configured on the security-related files in the Zen installation directory.
- 7. Test database access and master password functionality to confirm normal operation.
- 8. Document the upgrade for compliance and audit purposes.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-40756 — 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-2022-40756 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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