CVE-2022-46176: Cargo is a Rust package manager. The Rust Security Response WG was notified that Cargo did not perform SSH host key verification when cloning indexes ...

Description

Cargo is a Rust package manager. The Rust Security Response WG was notified that Cargo did not perform SSH host key verification when cloning indexes and dependencies via SSH. An attacker could exploit this to perform man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This vulnerability has been assigned CVE-2022-46176. All Rust versions containing Cargo before 1.66.1 are vulnerable. Note that even if you don't explicitly use SSH for alternate registry indexes or crate dependencies, you might be affected by this vulnerability if you have configured git to replace HTTPS connections to GitHub with SSH (through git's [`url.<base>.insteadOf`][1] setting), as that'd cause you to clone the crates.io index through SSH. Rust 1.66.1 will ensure Cargo checks the SSH host key and abort the connection if the server's public key is not already trusted. We recommend everyone to upgrade as soon as possible.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.9/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.65%

46.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-347

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Rust-Lang	Cargo	<= 0.67.0

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/11/05/6
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/11/06/5
https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/security/advisories/GHSA-r5w3-xm58-jv6jMitigation, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/rust-lang/wg-security-response/tree/main/patches/CVE-2022-46176Patch, Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/11/05/6
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/11/06/5
https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/security/advisories/GHSA-r5w3-xm58-jv6jMitigation, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/rust-lang/wg-security-response/tree/main/patches/CVE-2022-46176Patch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 11, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-46176?

Cargo is a Rust package manager. The Rust Security Response WG was notified that Cargo did not perform SSH host key verification when cloning indexes and dependencies via SSH. An attacker could exploit this to perform man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This vulnerability has been assigned CVE-2022-46176. All Rust versions containing Cargo before 1.66.1 are vulnerable. Note that even if you don't explicitly use SSH for alternate registry indexes or crate dependencies, you might be affected by this vulnerability if you have configured git to replace HTTPS connections to GitHub with SSH (through git's [`url.<base>.insteadOf`][1] setting), as that'd cause you to clone the crates.io index through SSH. Rust 1.66.1 will ensure Cargo checks the SSH host key and abort the connection if the server's public key is not already trusted. We recommend everyone to upgrade as soon as possible.

How severe is CVE-2022-46176?

CVE-2022-46176 has a CVSS score of 5.9/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.65% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-46176?

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.

How Strix Helps

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