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ClamavApplication

CVE-2022-20792

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-08-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 0.104.2 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A vulnerability in the regex module used by the signature database load module of Clam AntiVirus (ClamAV) versions 0.104.0 through 0.104.2 and LTS version 0.103.5 and prior versions could allow an authenticated, local attacker to crash ClamAV at database load time, and possibly gain code execution. The vulnerability is due to improper bounds checking that may result in a multi-byte heap buffer overwflow write. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by placing a crafted CDB ClamAV signature database file in the ClamAV database directory. An exploit could allow the attacker to run code as the clamav user.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A heap buffer overflow vulnerability in ClamAV's regex module during signature database load allows local authenticated attackers to crash the service or execute arbitrary code as the clamav user by placing a crafted CDB signature database file in the database directory.

MitigationUpgrade ClamAV to version 0.104.3 or 0.103.6 and later to patch the vulnerability; restrict write access to the database directory to prevent unauthorized database file placement.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
ClamavApplication
Affected:<= 0.103.5>= 0.104.0, <= 0.104.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed ClamAV version
    Run `clamd --version` or `clamscan --version` to determine the exact version number
    Affected if Version is <= 0.103.5 OR (>= 0.104.0 AND <= 0.104.2)
  2. Identify the signature database directory
    Check the DatabaseDirectory setting in /etc/clamd.conf or /etc/freshclam.conf
    Affected if The database directory is writable by untrusted local users
  3. Verify database directory permissions
    Run `ls -la` on the database directory path to inspect owner and permissions
    Affected if Non-privileged or untrusted users have write access to this directory
  4. Check for CDB signature database files
    List .cdb files in the database directory or check if CDB signatures are referenced in clamd.conf
    Affected if CDB signature database files (.cdb) are present or configured to be loaded

A user is affected if running an affected ClamAV version AND the database directory is writable by untrusted local users AND CDB signature databases are loaded.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 0.104.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade ClamAV to version 0.104.3 or 0.103.6 and later to patch the vulnerability; restrict write access to the database directory to prevent unauthorized database file placement.

Recommended fix High confidence

ClamAV 0.104.3 (for 0.104.x branch) or ClamAV 0.103.6 (for LTS 0.103.x branch)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed ClamAV version using 'clamd --version' or 'clamfsck --version'
  2. 2. If running ClamAV 0.104.0-0.104.2, upgrade to version 0.104.3 or later
  3. 3. If running ClamAV 0.103.x LTS (0.103.5 or earlier), upgrade to version 0.103.6 or later
  4. 4. After upgrading, verify the new version is installed with 'clamscan --version'
  5. 5. Restart the clamd service if it was running
Caveat Review release notes for any configuration or behavioral changes between versions; minor version upgrades typically maintain backward compatibility

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Clamav Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-20792 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data