CVE-2022-45873

Name: CVE-2022-45873
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-11-23T23:15:10.183+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.25%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2022-45873 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. systemd 250 and 251 allows local users to achieve a systemd-coredump deadlock by triggering a crash that has a long backtrace. This occurs in parse_elf_object in shared/elf-util.c. EPSS estimates a 0.25% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

systemd 250 and 251 allows local users to achieve a systemd-coredump deadlock by triggering a crash that has a long backtrace. This occurs in parse_elf_object in shared/elf-util.c. The exploitation methodology is to crash a binary calling the same function recursively, and put it in a deeply nested directory to make its backtrace large enough to cause the deadlock. This must be done 16 times when MaxConnections=16 is set for the systemd/units/systemd-coredump.socket file.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.25%

16.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions	Update
Systemd Project	Systemd	>= 250, <= 251	—
Systemd Project	Systemd	252	Rc1
Fedoraproject	Fedora	36	—

References

https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/076b807be472630692c5348c60d0c2b7b28ad437Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/24853#issuecomment-1326561497Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/25055#issuecomment-1313733553Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MS5N5SLYAHKENLAJWYBDKU55ICU3SVZF/
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/076b807be472630692c5348c60d0c2b7b28ad437Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/24853#issuecomment-1326561497Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/25055#issuecomment-1313733553Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MS5N5SLYAHKENLAJWYBDKU55ICU3SVZF/

Timeline

Published: Nov 23, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-45873?

How severe is CVE-2022-45873?

CVE-2022-45873 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.25% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-45873?

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-2022-45873?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST