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Fencer Vulns
high 7.8

CVE-2023-22809 in the critical feed json

In Sudo before 1.9.12p2, the sudoedit (aka -e) feature mishandles extra arguments passed in the user-provided environment variables (SUDO_E…

published 2023-01-18 3 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2023-26921

cvss
7.8
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
55.4%
EPSS 55.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 99%
public exploits
2
Metasploit, Exploit-DB

Summary

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.

Patch / fix

  • sudo_project sudo 1.9.12
  • apple macos 13.4
  • sudo Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 1.9.12p2-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2023-22809

  • sudo Ubuntu 18.04 LTS 1.8.21p2-3ubuntu1.5
  • sudo Ubuntu 20.04 LTS 1.8.31-1ubuntu1.4
  • sudo Ubuntu 22.04 LTS 1.9.9-1ubuntu2.2
  • sudo Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS 1.8.9p5-1ubuntu1.5+esm7
  • sudo Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS 1.8.16-0ubuntu1.10+esm1

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2023-22809

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • redhat-virtualization-host rhev hypervisor 4.4 4.5.3-202302150956_8.6
  • redhat-virtualization-host-image-update rhev hypervisor 4.4 4.5.3-202302150956_8.6
  • sudo RHEL 7 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3
  • sudo RHEL 8 1.8.29-8.el8_7.1
  • sudo RHEL 9 1.9.5p2-7.el9_1.1
  • sudo-python-plugin RHEL 9 1.9.5p2-7.el9_1.1
  • sudo RHEL 8.4 EUS 1.8.29-7.el8_4.2
  • sudo RHEL 9.0 EUS 1.9.5p2-7.el9_0.2

red hat advisories RHSA-2023:0859RHSA-2023:0293RHSA-2023:0291RHSA-2023:0281RHSA-2023:0280RHSA-2023:0284

  • sudo SLES for SAP 12 SP5, SLES 12 SP5, SLE Software Development Kit 12 SP5 1.8.27-4.33.1
  • sudo SLES for SAP 15 SP2, SLES for SAP 15 SP1, SLES 15 SP2-LTSS +5 more 1.8.27-150000.4.38.1
  • sudo SLES for SAP 15 SP3, SLES 15 SP3-LTSS, SLE Real Time 15 SP3 +9 more 1.9.5p2-150300.3.19.1
  • sudo SLE Module for Basesystem 15 SP4, SLE Micro 5.3, openSUSE Leap Micro 5.3 +1 more 1.9.9-150400.4.12.1
  • sudo SLES for SAP 12 SP4, SLES 12 SP4-LTSS, OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 +1 more 1.8.20p2-3.36.1
  • sudo SLES 12 SP2-BCL 1.8.10p3-10.44.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2023:0117-1SUSE-SU-2023:0116-1SUSE-SU-2023:0115-1SUSE-SU-2023:0114-1SUSE-SU-2023:0101-1SUSE-SU-2023:0100-1

  • sudo openSUSE Tumbleweed 1.9.12p2-1.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2024:12638-1

  • sudo AlmaLinux 9 1.9.5p2-7.el9_1.1
  • sudo-python-plugin AlmaLinux 9 1.9.5p2-7.el9_1.1
  • sudo AlmaLinux 8 1.8.29-8.el8_7.1

almalinux advisories ALSA-2023:0282ALSA-2023:0284

  • sudo Rocky Linux 8 1.8.29-8.el8_7.1
  • sudo Rocky Linux 9 1.9.5p2-7.el9_1.1

rocky linux advisories RLSA-2023:0284RLSA-2023:0282

  • sudo Alpine 3.24, Alpine 3.23, Alpine 3.22 +7 more 1.9.12_p2-r0

alpine advisories ALPINE-CVE-2023-22809

Alpine secdb © Alpine Linux, from https://secdb.alpinelinux.org via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • sudo CBL-Mariner 2.0 1.9.12p2-1

azure linux advisories AZL-13030

Azure Linux vulnerability data, Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation, from https://github.com/microsoft/AzureLinuxVulnerabilityData via OSV, under the MIT licence; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. MIT

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2023-22809 updated cvss 7.8

sudo: arbitrary file write with privileges of the RunAs user

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) sudo-python-plugin 1.9.5p2-7.el9_1.1
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0282
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.0) sudo-python-plugin 1.9.5p2-7.el9_0.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0281
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) sudo 1.8.29-8.el8_7.1
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0284
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) sudo 1.9.5p2-7.el9_1.1
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0282
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS AUS (v. 8.2) sudo 1.8.29-5.el8_2.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0292
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS E4S (v. 8.1) sudo 1.8.25p1-8.el8_1.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0280
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS E4S (v. 8.2) sudo 1.8.29-5.el8_2.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0292
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.8.4) sudo 1.8.29-7.el8_4.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0293
show 17 more
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.8.6) sudo 1.8.29-8.el8_6.1
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0283
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.0) sudo 1.9.5p2-7.el9_0.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0281
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS TUS (v. 8.2) sudo 1.8.29-5.el8_2.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0292
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) sudo 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) sudo-devel 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3 Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) sudo-devel 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0291
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 6 ELS) sudo 1.8.6p3-29.el6_10.7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0287
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) sudo 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0291
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 7.4) sudo 1.8.19p2-12.el7_4.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:3264
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 7.6) sudo 1.8.23-3.el7_6.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:3262
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 7.7) sudo 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server E4S (v. 7.7) sudo 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:3276
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 6 ELS) sudo-devel 1.8.6p3-29.el6_10.7, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.6p3-29.el6_10.7
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0287
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) sudo-devel 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0291
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional AUS (v. 7.4) sudo-devel 1.8.19p2-12.el7_4.3, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.19p2-12.el7_4.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:3264
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional AUS (v. 7.6) sudo-devel 1.8.23-3.el7_6.3, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.23-3.el7_6.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:3262
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional AUS (v. 7.7) sudo-devel 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional E4S (v. 7.7) sudo-devel 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional TUS (v. 7.7) sudo-devel 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server TUS (v. 7.7) sudo 1.8.23-4.el7_7.4
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:3276
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) sudo 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3 Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) sudo-devel 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3, sudo-debuginfo 1.8.23-10.el7_9.3
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0291
  • Red Hat Virtualization 4 Hypervisor for RHEL 8 redhat-virtualization-host 4.5.3-202302150956_8.6, redhat-virtualization-host-image-update 4.5.3-202302150956_8.6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2023:0859
  • Red Hat RHEL 8-based RHEV-H for RHEV 4 (build requirements) redhat-release-virtualization-host 4.5.3-4.el8ev, redhat-release-virtualization-host-content 4.5.3-4.el8ev, redhat-virtualization-host-image-update-placeholder 4.5.3-4.el8ev
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

cisa ICSA-25-105-08 updated cvss 7.8

ABB M2M Gateway

  • ABB M2M Gateway >=4.1.2, <=5.0.3, >=5.0.1, <=5.0.3
    affected: mitigation

Facts from CISA's republication of the vendor's own advisory (CSAF); the linked advisory is the authoritative source. CISA notification · csaf

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. First public exploit (Metasploit exploit/linux/local/sudoedit_bypass_priv_esc)

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
19 mo ago

Exploit prediction

55.37% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

  • Metasploit exploit/linux/local/sudoedit_bypass_priv_esc Sudoedit Extra Arguments Priv Esc metasploit exploit, excellent rank, 2023-01-18
  • EDB-51217 sudo 1.8.0 to 1.9.12p1 - Privilege Escalation local, 2023-04-03
  • synacktiv.com https://www.synacktiv.com/sites/default/files/2023-01/sudo-CVE-2023-22809.pdf referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • sudo.ws https://www.sudo.ws/security/advisories/sudoedit_any/ referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
  • openwall.com http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/01/19/1 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CISA ADP 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.