CVE-2022-20792

Service crash via regex heap buffer overflow

Published Aug 10, 2022 · Updated Nov 1, 2024

Heap buffer overflow in ClamAV 0.104.0 through 0.104.2 and 0.103.5 and earlier allows local users to crash ClamAV at database load. The vendored regex library performs improper bounds checking while the signature database loader parses a crafted CDB file, causing a multi-byte out-of-bounds heap write. Exploitation requires placing the file in the ClamAV database directory; successful exploitation crashes the service and can execute code as the clamav user.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.53%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Heap buffer overflow in ClamAV 0.104.0 through 0.104.2 and 0.103.5 and earlier allows local users to crash ClamAV at database load. The vendored regex library performs improper bounds checking while the signature database loader parses a crafted CDB file, causing a multi-byte out-of-bounds heap write. Exploitation requires placing the file in the ClamAV database directory; successful exploitation crashes the service and can execute code as the clamav user.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-20792
Published
Aug 10, 2022
Updated
Nov 1, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
ClamAV
Classifications
CWE-125, CWE-787
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 10, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 1, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0.104.0 <unspecified
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=0.103.5
  3. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=0.104.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · ClamAVversion=0.104.0 <unspecified; version=unspecified <=0.103.5; version=unspecified <=0.104.2

Published CVSS scores

7.8UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read
CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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