CVE-2022-42948 Fortra Cobalt Strike: web page flaw
In plain words: A web app can be made to act on someone's behalf or reach places it should not. Stolen sessions, actions taken as the victim, or access to internal systems.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Apr 20, 2023
What to do
- Install Fortra's security update for Cobalt Strike. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- Fortra Cobalt Strike User Interface Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Product
- Fortra Cobalt Strike
- CISA description
- Fortra Cobalt Strike User Interface contains an unspecified vulnerability rooted in Java Swing that may allow remote code execution.
- Type of flaw
- Web page flaw (CWE-79, CWE-116)
- Confirmed exploited
- Mar 30, 2023
- US federal patch deadline
- Apr 20, 2023
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Answering about CVE-2022-42948 ·
Questions about CVE-2022-42948
Is CVE-2022-42948 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2022-42948 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Mar 30, 2023, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2022-42948?
Install Fortra's security update for Cobalt Strike. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2022-42948?
Only if you use Fortra Cobalt Strike. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.