VulnerabilityPublished 21 Aug 2024Updated 21 Oct 2025

CVE-2024-28987: SolarWinds Web Help Desk · Use of Hard-coded Credentials

Affects SolarWinds Web Help DeskSource CVE Database V5

Exploited in the wild · KEV due 5 Nov 2024 · public exploit available (Metasploit) · 93% EPSS : apply the vendor's fix or mitigations to SolarWinds Web Help Desk now.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

9.1Critical

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

KEV deadline: 5 Nov 2024 US federal agencies must patch by this date; a sensible deadline for everyone else. Other KEV due dates
EPSS: 93.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 99% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 21 Aug 2024
Detectable: evidence found.
nuclei template: SolarWinds Web Help Desk - Hardcoded Credential
Weaponised: evidence found.
1 Metasploit module
Exploited in the wildExploited: evidence found.
Listed in CISA KEV 55 days after disclosure
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

CVE ID reserved
by SolarWinds
13 Mar 202420:27 UTC, 161 days before disclosure
CVE published
on cve.org
21 Aug 202421:17 UTC, t = 0
Added to CISA KEV (opens in a new tab)
exploitation confirmed
15 Oct 2024, 55 days after disclosure
KEV remediation due
US federal deadline
5 Nov 2024, 76 days after disclosure

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CISA KEV (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Description

The SolarWinds Web Help Desk (WHD) software is affected by a hardcoded credential vulnerability, allowing remote unauthenticated user to access internal functionality and modify data.

Impact

The exploitation of CVE-2024-28987 can lead to unauthorized remote access to SolarWinds Web Help Desk systems, allowing attackers to view, modify, or manipulate sensitive help desk tickets, user data, and internal configurations. This compromises the confidentiality and integrity of organizational IT support data, potentially enabling further lateral movement within the network or escalation of privileges. Since the vulnerability requires no authentication and no user interaction, it can be exploited by attackers with minimal effort, increasing the likelihood of compromise. Organizations may face operational disruptions if attackers alter or delete critical support data. Additionally, attackers could use the foothold to deploy further attacks, such as data exfiltration or ransomware. The absence of known exploits currently limits immediate widespread impact, but the critical nature of the flaw demands urgent attention to prevent future exploitation. The vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations with exposed or poorly segmented WHD instances, especially those managing sensitive or regulated data.

Mitigation

1. Immediately upgrade SolarWinds Web Help Desk to a version that addresses this vulnerability once a patch is released by the vendor. 2. Until a patch is available, restrict network access to the WHD management interface using firewalls or network segmentation to limit exposure to trusted IP addresses only. 3. Conduct a thorough audit of all WHD instances to identify affected versions and remove or disable any hardcoded credentials if possible. 4. Implement strict monitoring and logging of all access to the WHD system to detect any unauthorized or suspicious activity promptly. 5. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all administrative interfaces where feasible to add an additional layer of security. 6. Review and harden internal access controls and permissions within the WHD application to minimize potential damage from compromised credentials. 7. Educate IT and security teams about this vulnerability and ensure incident response plans include scenarios involving WHD compromise. 8. Consider isolating the WHD server in a dedicated VLAN or network segment to reduce the risk of lateral movement in case of exploitation.

CWE-798Use of Hard-coded Credentials (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key.
Architecture and Design
For outbound authentication: store passwords, keys, and other credentials outside of the code in a strongly-protected, encrypted configuration file or database that is protected from access by all outsiders, including other local users on the same system. Properly protect the key (CWE-320).
Architecture and Design
For inbound authentication: Rather than hard-code a default username and password, key, or other authentication credentials for first time logins, utilize a "first login" mode that requires the user to enter a unique strong password or key.
Architecture and Design
If the product must contain hard-coded credentials or they cannot be removed, perform access control checks and limit which entities can access the feature that requires the hard-coded credentials. For example, a feature might only be enabled through the system console instead of through a network connection.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Key Management (opens in a new tab)
REST Security (opens in a new tab)
JSON Web Token for Java (opens in a new tab)
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.10.4 (opens in a new tab)
V6.4.1 (opens in a new tab)
V3.5.2 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Read Sensitive Constants Within an Executable (opens in a new tab)
Try Common or Default Usernames and Passwords (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

Timeline

What to do

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 28 Feb 2026, 10:31 UTC

Public exploits and detection1 Metasploit module, a Nuclei detection template

WeaknessesCWE-798

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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