CVE-2026-22054: Active IQ Config Advisor Auth Bypass

CVE-2026-22054 Overview

CVE-2026-22054 affects NetApp Active IQ Config Advisor version 6.7.3. The product contains hard-coded credentials that an authenticated attacker with low privileges can leverage to perform unauthorized AutoSupport operations. The flaw falls under the Hardcoded Credentials class of weaknesses and exposes a limited integrity boundary within the AutoSupport workflow. NetApp documented the issue in security advisory NTAP-20260603-0001.

The weakness does not grant code execution or data disclosure on its own. It does, however, allow an attacker to invoke AutoSupport functionality that should require stronger authorization.

Critical Impact

An authenticated low-privilege attacker can abuse embedded credentials in Active IQ Config Advisor 6.7.3 to trigger unauthorized AutoSupport operations over the network.

Affected Products

• NetApp Active IQ Config Advisor version 6.7.3
• Deployments using AutoSupport workflows handled by the affected Config Advisor build
• Environments where the Config Advisor binary ships with embedded credentials

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-06-03 - CVE-2026-22054 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
• 2026-06-03 - NetApp publishes advisory NTAP-20260603-0001
• 2026-06-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-22054

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability belongs to the Hardcoded Credentials category. Active IQ Config Advisor is a NetApp tool that collects configuration data from ONTAP and related systems and forwards selected information through AutoSupport. Version 6.7.3 ships with credentials embedded in the application itself.

Because the credentials are static and identical across installations, any actor who obtains them — by extracting strings from the binary, examining configuration artifacts, or sharing knowledge across tenants — can authenticate to AutoSupport-related interfaces. The CVSS 4.0 scoring describes a network-reachable issue requiring low privileges and no user interaction, with impact limited to a subsequent system's integrity surface rather than the vulnerable component itself.

Root Cause

The root cause is the inclusion of static authentication material in the shipped product. Hardcoded credentials remove the separation between the software vendor's trust boundary and the customer environment, because the same secret is present in every deployment. Once recovered, the secret cannot be rotated by the operator without a vendor patch.

Attack Vector

An attacker first needs low-privileged authenticated access to a network position that can reach the Config Advisor interface. The attacker then presents the embedded credentials to perform AutoSupport operations that ordinarily require higher trust. The CVSS vector indicates no confidentiality, integrity, or availability impact on the vulnerable component, but a limited confidentiality impact on a subsequent system reached through AutoSupport.

No public exploit, proof-of-concept, or CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) listing is associated with CVE-2026-22054 at the time of publication. No verified exploitation code is available, so technical specifics are described in prose only. See the NetApp Security Advisory NTAP-20260603-0001 for vendor details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-22054

Indicators of Compromise

• AutoSupport submissions or operations originating from Config Advisor 6.7.3 hosts that do not align with scheduled collection windows.
• Authentication events to Config Advisor interfaces from accounts or hosts not expected to interact with the tool.
• Repeated AutoSupport actions invoked by low-privileged service accounts.

Detection Strategies

• Inventory all systems running Active IQ Config Advisor and flag any instance reporting version 6.7.3.
• Correlate AutoSupport activity logs with the identity and privilege level of the initiating account.
• Alert on outbound AutoSupport traffic from Config Advisor hosts that occurs outside approved change windows.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward Config Advisor and AutoSupport logs to a centralized analytics platform and retain them for at least 90 days.
• Baseline normal AutoSupport submission volume and frequency per host, then alert on deviations.
• Monitor for repeated failed and successful authentication patterns against the Config Advisor service endpoint.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-22054

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify every host running Active IQ Config Advisor 6.7.3 and prioritize remediation according to NetApp's advisory.
• Restrict network access to the Config Advisor management interface to administrative subnets only.
• Review accounts authorized to interact with Config Advisor and remove unnecessary low-privilege access.

Patch Information

NetApp tracks remediation status in NetApp Security Advisory NTAP-20260603-0001. Apply the fixed version published by NetApp once it becomes available for your environment, and verify the running version after upgrade.

Workarounds

• Place the Config Advisor host behind a host-based firewall that limits inbound connections to operator workstations.
• Disable or pause AutoSupport submissions from the affected version until a patched build is deployed.
• Rotate any operator credentials that were used on the affected host as a precaution after upgrade.

# Configuration example: restrict access to Config Advisor host
# Replace 10.0.0.0/24 with your authorized administrative subnet
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP

# Verify installed Config Advisor version after patching
config_advisor --version