CVE-2022-28291

Name: CVE-2022-28291
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-10-17T16:15:20.93+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 0.64%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2022-28291 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. Insufficiently Protected Credentials: An authenticated user with debug privileges can retrieve stored Nessus policy credentials from the “nessusd” process in cleartext via process dumping. The affected products are all versions of Nessus Essentials and Professional. EPSS estimates a 0.64% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Insufficiently Protected Credentials: An authenticated user with debug privileges can retrieve stored Nessus policy credentials from the “nessusd” process in cleartext via process dumping. The affected products are all versions of Nessus Essentials and Professional. The vulnerability allows an attacker to access credentials stored in Nessus scanners, potentially compromising its customers’ network of assets.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS Probability

0.64%

45.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Tenable	Nessus	All versions

References

https://cybersecurityworks.com/blog/zero-days/csw-expert-discovers-a-zero-day-vulnerability-in-tenables-nessus-scanner.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://cybersecurityworks.com/blog/zero-days/csw-expert-discovers-a-zero-day-vulnerability-in-tenables-nessus-scanner.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Oct 17, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-28291?

How severe is CVE-2022-28291?

CVE-2022-28291 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.64% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-28291?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2022-28291?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST