CVE-2026-56577: HCL MyCloud Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-56577 Overview

CVE-2026-56577 is a weak password policy vulnerability affecting HCL MyCloud. The flaw stems from insufficient password complexity requirements [CWE-521], which allow accounts to be protected by predictable or low-entropy credentials. Attackers can leverage this weakness to conduct brute-force and credential-based attacks against user accounts. The issue is network-exploitable but requires low-privilege access and high attack complexity, limiting practical exploitation scenarios. HCL has published a knowledge base article documenting the affected component and remediation guidance.

Critical Impact
Weak password requirements in HCL MyCloud increase the likelihood of successful credential compromise, enabling unauthorized access to user accounts through automated password guessing attacks.

Affected Products

HCL MyCloud

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-21 - CVE-2026-56577 published to NVD
2026-07-22 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-56577

Vulnerability Analysis

HCL MyCloud enforces password requirements that fail to meet accepted complexity standards. The application does not require sufficient length, character diversity, or entropy for user-selected passwords. This condition allows account holders to configure credentials that are trivially guessable by automated tooling. Attackers targeting exposed authentication endpoints can iterate through common password lists or perform credential stuffing using leaked datasets. The vulnerability does not directly expose data or code execution paths. Instead, it degrades the effectiveness of the authentication control itself, shifting the security boundary from cryptographic strength to user behavior.

Root Cause

The root cause is an insufficient password policy configuration within HCL MyCloud, categorized under [CWE-521] Weak Password Requirements. The application permits credentials that lack adequate complexity, length, or resistance to dictionary attacks. Password validation logic does not enforce controls consistent with modern authentication guidance such as NIST SP 800-63B.

Attack Vector

An attacker with network access to the HCL MyCloud authentication interface can conduct online brute-force attacks against known or enumerated accounts. The attacker requires no prior authentication to initiate guessing attempts. Successful exploitation yields access to the compromised user's account and its associated resources. The high attack complexity reflects the need for viable target accounts and the absence of guaranteed lockout defenses.

No verified public proof-of-concept code exists for this vulnerability. Refer to the HCL Software Knowledge Base Article for vendor-supplied technical detail.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-56577

Indicators of Compromise

Repeated failed authentication attempts against HCL MyCloud accounts from single or distributed source addresses.
Successful logins immediately following bursts of failed attempts, indicating potential password guessing success.
Authentication events originating from unexpected geographic regions or anonymizing infrastructure.
Account access from new devices or user agents shortly after credential-related error spikes.

Detection Strategies

Aggregate authentication logs from HCL MyCloud and alert on failed-login thresholds per account and per source IP.
Correlate failed authentication bursts with subsequent successful logins to identify likely credential compromise.
Baseline normal login patterns per user and flag deviations in time, location, or client fingerprint.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward HCL MyCloud authentication and audit logs to a centralized log platform for retention and correlation.
Enable alerting for password spray patterns, where many accounts receive small numbers of failed attempts from shared sources.
Track account lockout events and password reset activity for anomalous volume.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-56577

Immediate Actions Required

Review the HCL Software Knowledge Base Article and apply vendor-recommended password policy configuration changes.
Enforce strong password requirements including minimum length, character diversity, and rejection of known-breached passwords.
Require multi-factor authentication for all HCL MyCloud accounts, especially administrative users.
Force password resets for accounts that do not meet updated complexity requirements.

Patch Information

HCL has published guidance in HCL Software Knowledge Base Article KB0132381. Administrators should follow the vendor's documented remediation steps to update the password policy configuration in affected HCL MyCloud deployments.

Workarounds

Implement account lockout or progressive delay policies after a defined number of failed authentication attempts.
Deploy a web application firewall or reverse proxy rule to rate-limit authentication endpoints.
Restrict access to the HCL MyCloud login interface using network-level controls where feasible.
Monitor for and block credential stuffing traffic using threat intelligence feeds of known malicious source addresses.

bash

# Configuration example
# Refer to HCL Knowledge Base KB0132381 for vendor-specific password policy settings