CVE-2022-4170

Name: CVE-2022-4170
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-12-09T18:15:20.327+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 2.06%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2022-4170 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. The rxvt-unicode package is vulnerable to a remote code execution, in the Perl background extension, when an attacker can control the data written to the user's terminal and certain options are set.. EPSS estimates a 2.06% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The rxvt-unicode package is vulnerable to a remote code execution, in the Perl background extension, when an attacker can control the data written to the user's terminal and certain options are set.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

2.06%

78.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-74

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Rxvt-Unicode Project	Rxvt-Unicode	9.25
Rxvt-Unicode Project	Rxvt-Unicode	9.26
Fedoraproject	Extra Packages For Enterprise Linux	8.0
Fedoraproject	Fedora	37

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2151597Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-20Third Party Advisory
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/12/05/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2151597Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-20Third Party Advisory
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/12/05/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Dec 9, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-4170?

The rxvt-unicode package is vulnerable to a remote code execution, in the Perl background extension, when an attacker can control the data written to the user's terminal and certain options are set.

How severe is CVE-2022-4170?

CVE-2022-4170 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.06% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-4170?

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-2022-4170?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST