CVE-2026-56459: HCL DevOps Deploy Information Disclosure

CVE-2026-56459 Overview

CVE-2026-56459 affects HCL DevOps Deploy and HCL Launch, which write sensitive information to log files accessible by local users. The flaw maps to [CWE-532: Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File]. A local user with read access to the application logs can retrieve credentials, tokens, or other confidential data that the application should not persist in cleartext.

Critical Impact
Local users can harvest sensitive data from log files, enabling secondary attacks such as credential reuse against integrated CI/CD systems and deployment targets.

Affected Products

HCL DevOps Deploy
HCL Launch
Refer to the HCL Software Knowledge Base Article for specific affected versions

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-09 - CVE-2026-56459 published to NVD
2026-07-09 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-56459

Vulnerability Analysis

HCL DevOps Deploy and HCL Launch persist sensitive information into local log files during normal operation. Any user with read permission on the log directory can obtain that data. Because DevOps orchestration platforms broker deployments to production systems, the exposed content often includes deployment credentials, API tokens, connection strings, or process parameters.

The vulnerability requires local access to the host running the application. Authentication is not required to read logs once the attacker holds a shell account or equivalent file-read privilege. The impact is limited to confidentiality; the flaw does not modify data or affect availability.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper handling of secrets during logging. The application writes parameters, headers, or process context into log entries without masking or redacting sensitive fields. This is the classic pattern described by [CWE-532], where debug or informational logging captures data that should never leave protected storage.

Attack Vector

An attacker with a local account on the server, or any process running under a user ID that can read the log directory, opens the log files and greps for credential patterns. No exploit code is required. The attack does not generate network traffic and blends with legitimate log access.

See the HCL Software Knowledge Base Article for vendor-specific technical detail.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-56459

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected read access to HCL DevOps Deploy or HCL Launch log directories by non-administrative user accounts
Log files containing cleartext passwords, tokens, or connection strings that match deployment target credentials
Reuse of deployment credentials from unusual source hosts following local log access

Detection Strategies

Audit file access on log directories using operating system auditing (Linux auditd, Windows Object Access auditing)
Scan existing log files for high-entropy strings, password=, token=, and known credential prefixes
Correlate local log reads with subsequent authentication events on downstream systems targeted by the deployment pipeline

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward HCL Deploy and Launch host logs, including file access audit events, to a centralized SIEM or data lake for correlation
Alert on any process outside the application service account reading files in the log directory
Periodically hunt for secret patterns in archived logs and rotate any credentials found in cleartext

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-56459

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict filesystem permissions on HCL DevOps Deploy and HCL Launch log directories to the service account and administrators only
Review existing logs for exposed secrets and rotate any credentials, tokens, or keys that were written in cleartext
Apply the vendor-supplied fix referenced in the HCL Software Knowledge Base Article

Patch Information

HCL Software has published remediation guidance in KB0131696. Administrators should consult that advisory for the fixed version and configuration changes required to suppress sensitive data from logs.

Workarounds

Reduce logging verbosity in HCL DevOps Deploy and HCL Launch to the minimum level required for operations
Enforce strict file-level access control lists on the log directory so only the application service account and privileged administrators can read log content
Store logs on a dedicated volume with mandatory access control (SELinux, AppArmor) preventing interactive users from reading them
Use a secrets manager for deployment credentials so that any residual log entries reference vault handles rather than cleartext values

bash

# Configuration example: restrict access to HCL Deploy log directory on Linux
chown -R hcldeploy:hcldeploy /opt/hcl/deploy/var/log
chmod 700 /opt/hcl/deploy/var/log
find /opt/hcl/deploy/var/log -type f -exec chmod 600 {} \;

# Enable auditd monitoring for unauthorized reads
auditctl -w /opt/hcl/deploy/var/log -p r -k hcl_deploy_log_read