CVE-2022-23093: ping reads raw IP packets from the network to process responses in the pr_pack() function. As part of processing a response ping has to reconstruct t...

Description

ping reads raw IP packets from the network to process responses in the pr_pack() function. As part of processing a response ping has to reconstruct the IP header, the ICMP header and if present a "quoted packet," which represents the packet that generated an ICMP error. The quoted packet again has an IP header and an ICMP header. The pr_pack() copies received IP and ICMP headers into stack buffers for further processing. In so doing, it fails to take into account the possible presence of IP option headers following the IP header in either the response or the quoted packet. When IP options are present, pr_pack() overflows the destination buffer by up to 40 bytes. The memory safety bugs described above can be triggered by a remote host, causing the ping program to crash. The ping process runs in a capability mode sandbox on all affected versions of FreeBSD and is thus very constrained in how it can interact with the rest of the system at the point where the bug can occur.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

2.40%

81.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-120

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Freebsd	Freebsd	12.3	Beta1
Freebsd	Freebsd	12.4	Rc2-P1
Freebsd	Freebsd	13.1	B1-P1

References

https://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-22:15.ping.ascVendor Advisory
https://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-22:15.ping.ascVendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Feb 15, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-23093?

ping reads raw IP packets from the network to process responses in the pr_pack() function. As part of processing a response ping has to reconstruct the IP header, the ICMP header and if present a "quoted packet," which represents the packet that generated an ICMP error. The quoted packet again has an IP header and an ICMP header. The pr_pack() copies received IP and ICMP headers into stack buffers for further processing. In so doing, it fails to take into account the possible presence of IP option headers following the IP header in either the response or the quoted packet. When IP options are present, pr_pack() overflows the destination buffer by up to 40 bytes. The memory safety bugs described above can be triggered by a remote host, causing the ping program to crash. The ping process runs in a capability mode sandbox on all affected versions of FreeBSD and is thus very constrained in how it can interact with the rest of the system at the point where the bug can occur.

How severe is CVE-2022-23093?

CVE-2022-23093 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-23093?

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.