CVE-2022-42010 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting D-Bus versions prior to 1.12.24, 1.13.x, 1.14.x before 1.14.4, and 1.15.x before 1.15.2. This vulnerability allows an authenticated attacker to cause the dbus-daemon and other applications that utilize libdbus to crash when they receive messages with specific invalid type signatures. The impact is significant as it can lead to denial of service conditions on affected systems.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 6.5, which categorizes it as medium severity. The attack vector is classified as network-based, with low attack complexity and low privileges required to exploit it. This highlights the ease with which an attacker can potentially exploit this vulnerability, making it a notable risk for organizations using affected versions of D-Bus.
Organizations using vulnerable versions of D-Bus should prioritize patching to mitigate this risk. Given the potential for significant system disruption, immediate attention is warranted to ensure that systems remain operational and secure.
Currently, there is no public exploit or proof of concept available for this vulnerability, which suggests that it may not have been actively targeted. However, the absence of known exploits should not diminish the urgency of addressing this issue.
Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments and ensure that they are running the latest patched versions of D-Bus to prevent potential exploitation.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of CVE-2022-42010 states: "An issue was discovered in D-Bus before 1.12.24, 1.13.x and 1.14.x before 1.14.4, and 1.15.x before 1.15.2. An authenticated attacker can cause dbus-daemon and other programs that use libdbus to crash when receiving a message with certain invalid type signatures."
This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-347, which is associated with improper validation of untrusted input.
The CVSS score associated with this vulnerability is 6.5, indicating a medium severity level. This score reflects a potential high impact on availability, as the vulnerability allows for denial of service conditions. Organizations should take this score into account when assessing their risk management strategies.
The affected products include D-Bus and various versions of Fedora OS, specifically Fedora 35, 36, and 37. The vulnerability was published on October 10, 2022, and has since been modified in the CVE database.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the handling of message type signatures within the D-Bus messaging protocol. When an attacker sends a message with an invalid type signature, it can result in a crash of the dbus-daemon. This issue is particularly concerning due to the accessibility of the attack vector via the network, allowing potential exploitation without physical access to the target system.
The attack complexity is rated as low, meaning that the conditions required to exploit this vulnerability are not particularly difficult to achieve.
In terms of privileges required, an attacker only needs low privileges to exploit this vulnerability. Furthermore, no user interaction is required, which enhances the risk profile of this vulnerability significantly.
The confidentiality and integrity impacts are rated as none, but the availability impact is high, indicating that successful exploitation could render the affected services inoperable, leading to potential service disruptions.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The real-world risk associated with CVE-2022-42010 is primarily linked to the availability of systems running vulnerable versions of D-Bus. Given the attack vector and the low privileges required, this vulnerability poses a significant threat to organizations that rely on D-Bus for inter-process communication.
Organizations should recognize the urgency of addressing this issue, especially considering the potential for widespread service interruption if exploited. The high availability impact could affect numerous services and applications running on affected systems.
Given the CVSS score of 6.5, organizations should integrate remediation into their priority patch cycles. This vulnerability represents a clear risk to operational continuity, necessitating prompt action from security teams.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
D-Bus versions affected by CVE-2022-42010 include:
• All versions prior to 1.12.24.
• Versions 1.13.x.
• Versions 1.14.x before 1.14.4.
• Versions 1.15.x before 1.15.2.
Mitigation & Remediation
To remediate CVE-2022-42010, organizations should upgrade to the latest version of D-Bus. The following versions contain patches for this vulnerability:
• Upgrade to D-Bus 1.12.24 or later.
• Upgrade to D-Bus 1.14.4 or later for 1.14.x series.
• Upgrade to D-Bus 1.15.2 or later for 1.15.x series.
If immediate patching is not feasible, consider implementing network controls to limit access to the affected services or configuring D-Bus to reject malformed messages. Organizations can also benefit from engaging in penetration testing to assess the effectiveness of their defenses.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor their logs for any indications of service disruptions related to dbus-daemon. Key indicators to watch for include:
• Unexpected crashes of the dbus-daemon service.
• Error messages related to invalid type signatures in D-Bus communications.
• Unusual patterns of incoming messages that do not conform to standard D-Bus protocols.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
CVE-2022-42010 represents a significant vulnerability that highlights the importance of stringent input validation in inter-process communication frameworks. As organizations increasingly rely on D-Bus for communication between applications, understanding and mitigating vulnerabilities like this is critical.
The low complexity of exploitation combined with the high availability impact underscores the need for proactive security measures. Regularly updating and patching systems is essential to defend against potential disruptions.
Organizations are encouraged to adopt comprehensive security practices, including vulnerability management programs and regular security assessments to identify and address weaknesses before they can be exploited.
As the threat landscape continues to evolve, maintaining an up-to-date understanding of vulnerabilities in widely used technologies is paramount for organizations aiming to stay secure.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

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