CVE-2023-22809

CVE-2023-22809 is a high-severity vulnerability in Sudo Project Sudo with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 55% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Description

In Sudo before 1.9.12p2, the sudoedit (aka -e) feature mishandles extra arguments passed in the user-provided environment variables (SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL, and EDITOR), allowing a local attacker to append arbitrary entries to the list of files to process. This can lead to privilege escalation. Affected versions are 1.8.0 through 1.9.12.p1. The problem exists because a user-specified editor may contain a "--" argument that defeats a protection mechanism, e.g., an EDITOR='vim -- /path/to/extra/file' value.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-22809?
In Sudo before 1.9.12p2, the sudoedit (aka -e) feature mishandles extra arguments passed in the user-provided environment variables (SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL, and EDITOR), allowing a local attacker to append arbitrary entries to the list of files to process. This can lead to privilege escalation. Affected versions are 1.8.0 through 1.9.12.p1. The problem exists because a user-specified editor may contain a "--" argument that defeats a protection mechanism, e.g., an EDITOR='vim -- /path/to/extra/file' value.
How severe is CVE-2023-22809?
CVE-2023-22809 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-2023-22809 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 55% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-22809?
CVE-2023-22809 primarily affects Sudo Project Sudo. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-22809?
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-2023-22809 published?
CVE-2023-22809 was published on 2023-01-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (8)

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