How severe is CVE-2022-21944?

CVE-2022-21944 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2022-21944 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (21st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2022-21944?

CVE-2022-21944 affects Opensuse Factory Watchman. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2022-21944?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2022-21944 published?

CVE-2022-21944 was published on 2022-01-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2022-21944

CVE-2022-21944 is a high-severity vulnerability in Opensuse Factory Watchman with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (21st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Opensuse Factory Watchman
Published: 2022-01-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the systemd service file for watchman of openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP3, Factory allows local attackers to escalate to root. This issue affects: openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP3 watchman versions prior to 4.9.0. openSUSE Factory watchman versions prior to 4.9.0-9.1.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-21944?: A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in the systemd service file for watchman of openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP3, Factory allows local attackers to escalate to root. This issue affects: openSUSE Backports SLE-15-SP3 watchman versions prior to 4.9.0. openSUSE Factory watchman versions prior to 4.9.0-9.1.
How severe is CVE-2022-21944?: CVE-2022-21944 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2022-21944 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (21st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-21944?: CVE-2022-21944 affects Opensuse Factory Watchman. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-21944?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2022-21944 published?: CVE-2022-21944 was published on 2022-01-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1194470

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:opensuse:factory_watchman:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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