CVE-2026-21766: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vjj9-w76c-7q84
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CVSS 5.4
CWE-522
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-21766 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.4) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-21766 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-21766
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vjj9-w76c-7q84
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.4
CWE Classification CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.4

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required High (PR:H)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-21766

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-21766, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials, where the product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

The default login portlet in HCL Digital Experience and Digital Experience Compose insufficiently protects credentials.  Under certain very specific use cases and specific configurations, sensitive information may be written to web server logs.  This only affects applications using the default login portlet.

References

NVD — CVE-2026-21766 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-21766
support.hcl-software.com/csm WEB
https://support.hcl-software.com/csm?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0132659

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-21766?
CVE-2026-21766 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-21766?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-21766?
CVE-2026-21766 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-21766?
CVE-2026-21766 is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials (The product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-21766?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-vjj9-w76c-7q84",
  "modified" : "2026-08-05T21:31:39Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-05T21:31:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-21766" ],
  "details" : "The default login portlet in HCL Digital Experience and Digital Experience Compose insufficiently protects credentials.  Under certain very specific use cases and specific configurations, sensitive information may be written to web server logs.  This only affects applications using the default login portlet.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-21766"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://support.hcl-software.com/csm?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0132659"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-522" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-08-05T20:17:08Z"
  }
}