CVE-2022-41716

Environment-variable injection via embedded NUL splitting

Published Nov 2, 2022 · Updated Oct 30, 2024

Improper NUL handling in Go standard library packages before 1.18.8 and 1.19.0 through 1.19.2 allows attackers to alter child-process environments. On Windows, syscall.StartProcess and os/exec.Cmd pass embedded NUL characters into the environment block, splitting one supplied value into a second variable assignment. Exploitation requires an application to place attacker-controlled bytes in a child-process environment; the resulting injection can change that child process's behavior.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.84%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper NUL handling in Go standard library packages before 1.18.8 and 1.19.0 through 1.19.2 allows attackers to alter child-process environments. On Windows, syscall.StartProcess and os/exec.Cmd pass embedded NUL characters into the environment block, splitting one supplied value into a second variable assignment. Exploitation requires an application to place attacker-controlled bytes in a child-process environment; the resulting injection can change that child process's behavior.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-41716
Published
Nov 2, 2022
Updated
Oct 30, 2024
Vendor
Go standard library
Product
syscall
Classifications
CWE-158
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 2, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 30, 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 <1.18.8
  2. Affected versionversion=1.19.0-0 <1.19.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Go standard library · syscallversion=0 <1.18.8; version=1.19.0-0 <1.19.3
Go standard library · os/execversion=0 <1.18.8; version=1.19.0-0 <1.19.3

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
6.3CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-158Improper Neutralization of Null Byte or NUL Character

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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