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Nexus Repository ManagerApplication · Sonatype

CVE-2024-5764

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.73.0 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability in Sonatype Nexus Repository has been discovered in the code responsible for encrypting any secrets stored in the Nexus Repository configuration database (SMTP or HTTP proxy credentials, user tokens, tokens, among others). The affected versions relied on a static hard-coded encryption passphrase. While it was possible for an administrator to define an alternate encryption passphrase, it could only be done at first boot and not updated. This issue affects Nexus Repository: from 3.0.0 through 3.72.0.

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

Hard-coded static encryption passphrase used to encrypt secrets (SMTP credentials, HTTP proxy credentials, user tokens) stored in Nexus Repository 3.0.0-3.72.0. While administrators could set an alternate passphrase at first boot, it could not be updated afterward, exposing stored credentials if the codebase or binary were compromised.

MitigationUpgrade to Nexus Repository version beyond 3.72.0 and rotate all credentials that were stored using the affected encryption mechanism (SMTP, HTTP proxy, user tokens). Review access logs for potential credential exposure.

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
Nexus Repository ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 3.0.0, < 3.73.0

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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. Determine the installed Nexus Repository Manager version
    Access the Nexus administration UI and navigate to 'Administration' > 'System' > 'Capabilities' or check the version from the login page footer. Alternatively, check the 'nexus-default.properties' file in the 'etc' folder of the Nexus installation directory.
    Affected if The installed version is 3.0.0 through 3.72.0 inclusive (versions before 3.73.0).
  2. Identify if SMTP is configured
    In the Nexus administration UI, navigate to 'Administration' > 'System' > 'Email' to see if SMTP server settings are configured.
    Affected if SMTP is configured and the version is in the affected range, meaning stored SMTP credentials are encrypted with the hard-coded passphrase.
  3. Identify if HTTP proxy credentials are configured
    In the Nexus administration UI, navigate to 'Administration' > 'System' > 'HTTP Proxy' to check if proxy server credentials are stored.
    Affected if HTTP proxy with authentication is configured and the version is in the affected range, meaning stored proxy credentials are encrypted with the hard-coded passphrase.
  4. Identify if any user tokens are in use
    In the Nexus administration UI, navigate to 'Administration' > 'Security' > 'Users' and check if any users have 'Token' access enabled under their profile settings.
    Affected if User tokens are enabled and the version is in the affected range, meaning user tokens are encrypted with the hard-coded passphrase.

You are affected if Nexus Repository Manager version is 3.0.0 through 3.72.0 and you have configured SMTP, HTTP proxy with credentials, or enabled user tokens.

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 3.73.0 or later
Fixed in 3.73.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Nexus Repository version beyond 3.72.0 and rotate all credentials that were stored using the affected encryption mechanism (SMTP, HTTP proxy, user tokens). Review access logs for potential credential exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence

Nexus Repository Manager 3.73.0

  1. Back up the current Nexus Repository installation and all data directories before proceeding
  2. Stop the Nexus Repository service
  3. Download Nexus Repository Manager version 3.73.0 or later from the official Sonatype download page
  4. Replace the existing Nexus installation files with the new version files
  5. Review the upgrade notes in Sonatype support documentation for any version-specific migration steps
  6. Start the Nexus Repository service
  7. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version in the administrative UI
  8. Confirm that the encryption passphrase can now be configured or updated as needed per the release notes
Caveat Review Sonatype upgrade documentation for any configuration or migration requirements between your current version and 3.73.0

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

Fix this in Nexus Repository Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,690
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,304.

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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-2024-5764 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