Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-50948

Exposed Creds in Ibm Storage Fusion Hci 2.1.0 – 2.7.1

Published
08 January 2024
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0050 40th percentile
Risk Priority 50 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-50948 is a medium-severity Use of Hard-coded Password (CWE-259) vulnerability in Ibm Storage Fusion Hci. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Unsecured Credentials (T1552); ranked at the 40th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to IA-5 (Authenticator Management) and SC-12 (Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

IBM Storage Fusion HCI 2.1.0 through 2.6.1 contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key, which it uses for its own inbound authentication, outbound communication to external components, or encryption of internal data. IBM X-Force ID: 275671.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1552 Unsecured Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may search compromised systems to find and obtain insecurely stored credentials.
T1552.001 Credentials In Files Credential Access
Adversaries may search local file systems and remote file shares for files containing insecurely stored credentials.
T1078 Valid Accounts Stealth
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of existing accounts as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion.
T1078.001 Default Accounts Stealth
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion.
T1552.004 Private Keys Credential Access
Adversaries may search for private key certificate files on compromised systems for insecurely stored credentials.
T1133 External Remote Services Persistence
Adversaries may leverage external-facing remote services to initially access and/or persist within a network.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-43040Same product: Ibm Storage Fusion Hci
CVE-2024-22313Same vendor: Ibm
CVE-2026-12628Same vendor: Ibm
CVE-2025-33100Same vendor: Ibm
CVE-2024-45656Same vendor: Ibm
CVE-2024-23619Same vendor: Ibm
CVE-2024-49805Same vendor: Ibm
CVE-2024-41777Same vendor: Ibm
CVE-2026-5065Same vendor: Ibm
CVE-2023-33836Same vendor: Ibm

Affected Assets

ibm
storage fusion hci
2.1.0 — 2.7.1

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Authenticator management requires secure distribution and handling of credentials, structurally discouraging hard-coded values.

Cryptographic key management mandates proper establishment and handling instead of embedding keys in code.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly prohibit embedding credentials in source code or binaries.

PR.AA-01 partial match
prevents

PR.AA-01's credential/key-management processes can reduce the incentive to embed secrets but do not address or detect hard-coded values in source code, so the weakness remains fully possible.

PR.AA-02 none match
prevents

PR.AA-02 addresses human identity proofing and per-person credential issuance at enrollment; it has no bearing on whether developers embed static credentials in software.

PR.DS-01 none match
prevents

PR.DS-01 addresses encryption and integrity of stored data but never touches credential or key management practices, so it neither prevents hard-coded credentials nor removes any of their risk.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Education on secure configuration practices discourages technical staff from embedding or relying on hard-coded credentials in systems and applications.

mitigates

Secure key-generation, distribution and storage procedures reduce the likelihood that hard-coded or default cryptographic keys will be introduced or left unprotected.

prevents

Explicit prohibition of hard-coded passwords and unauthenticated external services stops credentials from being embedded directly in source code.

prevents

Contractual requirements for secure coding practices and evidence of testing make it less likely that hard-coded credentials will be introduced or remain undetected in delivered code.

none

Requiring independent oversight and timely disabling of non-human identities makes it harder for hard-coded or long-lived credentials to remain exploitable.

prevents

Requiring users to change temporary or default passwords at first use stops the continued existence of hard-coded or guessable passwords that are shipped with the product.

References