CVE-2024-28987 — SolarWinds Web Help Desk Hardcoded Credential Vulnerability
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.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (nuclei, metasploit, github)+20
- EPSS 93.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (critical)+10
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
CISA required action CISA
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
US federal deadline: Nov 5, 2024 — passed 709 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Solarwinds Web Help Desk).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- EPSS ahead of 100% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (authentication), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solarwinds | Web Help Desk | version 12.8.3 Hotfix 1 and previous versions | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Solarwinds | Web Help Desk | < 12.8.3version 12.8.3version 12.8.3-hotfix1 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.2 | psirt@solarwinds.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.2 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 9.1 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | — | — | SolarWinds via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- SolarWinds Web Help Desk Backdoor (CVE-2024-28987) normal Aug 22, 2024
- Web Help Desk Hardcoded Credential Vulnerability (CVE-2024-28987) ★ 12 Sep 5, 2024
- Proof of Concept Exploit for CVE-2024-28987: SolarWinds Web Help Desk Hardcoded Credential Vulnerability ★ 8 Sep 24, 2024
- Proof of Concept Exploit for CVE-2024-28987: SolarWinds Web Help Desk Hardcoded Credential Vulnerability ★ 1 Apr 21, 2025
- **CVE-2024-28987** is a critical vulnerability in SolarWinds Web Help Desk (WHD) that allows remote attackers to access sensitive ticket information using **hardcoded credentials**. This vulnerability has a **CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical)** and is actively being exploited in the wild. ★ 1 Jul 28, 2026
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 12, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 93.30%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Review authentication logs: logins without MFA, anomalous sessions and recently created accounts.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Oct 15, 2024 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · solarwinds/web help desk
- Source status changed · Published → Analyzed
- Record published
- Affected products added · solarwinds/web help desk
- CVSS changed · 9.1
- Source status changed · → Published
- SSVC assessment updated
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2024
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 3× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
7 on the record
- www.solarwinds.com/trust-center/security-advisories/cve-2024-28987
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- www.theregister.com/2024/08/22/hardcoded_credentials_bug_solarwinds_whd/
- support.solarwinds.com/SuccessCenter/s/article/SolarWinds-Web-Help-Desk-12-8-3-Hotfix-2
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-4jq7-4qmf-m333
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-28987
- www.theregister.com/2024/08/22/hardcoded_credentials_bug_solarwinds_whd
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-28299 SolarWinds Web Help Desk Denial-of-Service Vulnerability Jun 2, 2026
- Critical CVE-2025-40551 SolarWinds Web Help Desk Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability KEV Jan 28, 2026
- High CVE-2025-40537 SolarWinds Web Help Desk Hardcoded Credentials Vulnerability Jan 28, 2026
- Critical CVE-2025-40552 SolarWinds Web Help Desk Authentication Bypass (CVE-2025-40552) Jan 28, 2026
- Critical CVE-2025-40553 SolarWinds Web Help Desk: untrusted data deserialization leading to RCE Jan 28, 2026
- Critical CVE-2025-40554 SolarWinds Web Help Desk Authentication Bypass (CVE-2025-40554) Jan 28, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2024-28987 is "SolarWinds Web Help Desk Hardcoded Credential Vulnerability", rated Critical. It affects Web Help Desk (Solarwinds); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 9.1 describes technical severity. EPSS 93.30% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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