CVE-2022-37454 — Buffer overflow in sponge queue functions
The Keccak XKCP SHA-3 reference implementation before fdc6fef has an integer overflow and resultant buffer overflow that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or eliminate expected cryptographic properties. This occurs in the sponge function interface.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 5.8% (30-day exploitation probability)+14
- Technical severity (critical)+10
- CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Rubygems Sha3: fixed in version 1.0.5 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Debian Debian Linux, Extended Keccak Code Package Project Extended Keccak Code Package, Fedoraproject Fedora…).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- EPSS ahead of 93% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | Debian Linux | version 10.0version 11.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Extended Keccak Code Package Project | Extended Keccak Code Package | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Fedoraproject | Fedora | version 36version 35 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Php | Php | ≥ 7.2.0 and < 7.4.33≥ 8.0.0 and < 8.0.25≥ 8.1.0 and < 8.1.12 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Pypy | Pypy | ≥ 7.0.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Pysha3 Project | Pysha3 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Python | Python | ≥ 3.8.0 and < 3.8.16≥ 3.10.0 and < 3.10.9≥ 3.9.0 and < 3.9.16≥ 3.6.0 and < 3.7.16 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Sha3 Project | Sha3 | < 1.0.5 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Pip | Pysha3 | ≤ 1.0.2 | Vulnerable | GitHub Security Advisories |
| Rubygems | Sha3 | < 1.0.5 | Vulnerable | GitHub Security Advisories |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | 3.9 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 9.8 | CVSS 3.1 | Critical | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · pip/pysha3, rubygems/sha3
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · extended keccak code package project/extended keccak code package, debian/debian linux, fedoraproject/fedora, php/php, p
- CVSS changed · 9.8
- Source status changed · → Modified
- Record created in this database
- 2022
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
References
27 on the record
- github.com/XKCP/XKCP/security/advisories/GHSA-6w4m-2xhg-2658
- mouha.be/sha-3-buffer-overflow/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CMIEXL
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/202305-02
- eprint.iacr.org/2023/331
- github.com/tiran/pysha3/issues/29
- github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/sha3/CVE-2022-37454.yml
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-37454
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/11/msg00000.html
- github.com/XKCP/XKCP/commit/fdc6fef075f4e81d6b1bc38364248975e08e340a
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/10/msg00041.html
- news.ycombinator.com/item
- www.debian.org/security/2022/dsa-5269
- www.debian.org/security/2022/dsa-5267
- csrc.nist.gov/projects/hash-functions/sha-3-project
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CMIE
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3ALQ
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-6w4m-2xhg-2658
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3ALQ6B
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-806742.html
- cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-455250.html
- news.ycombinator.com/item
- github.com/XKCP/XKCP/issues/105
- github.com/johanns/sha3/commit/5f2e8118a62831911703c8753ff2435c3b5d7312
- security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230203-0001/
- github.com/johanns/sha3/issues/17
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-12996 A use-after-free in OpenVPN 2.6.0 through 2.6.20 and 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4 allows remote... Jul 30, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-7260 Stack-based Buffer Overflow in Php Jul 30, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-17544 Out-of-bounds Write in Php Jul 30, 2026
- Critical CVE-2026-17543 SQL Injection in Php Jul 30, 2026
- High CVE-2026-15308 Incremental HTMLParser feed() allows CPU-exhaustion DoS via repeated unterminated markup declarations Jul 9, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-14355 ext/openssl: Memory corruption in openssl_encrypt with AES-WRAP-PAD Jul 3, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2022-37454 is "Buffer overflow in sponge queue functions", rated Critical. It affects Debian Linux (Debian); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 9.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 5.77% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.