dbcve.org
Javascript SdkApplication · Matrix

CVE-2022-36059

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 19.4.0 or later.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
matrix-js-sdk is a Matrix messaging protocol Client-Server SDK for JavaScript. In versions prior to 19.4.0 events sent with special strings in key places can temporarily disrupt or impede the matrix-js-sdk from functioning properly, potentially impacting the consumer's ability to process data safely. Note that the matrix-js-sdk can appear to be operating normally but be excluding or corrupting runtime data presented to the consumer. This issue has been fixed in matrix-js-sdk 19.4.0 and users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade may mitigate this issue by redacting applicable events, waiting for the sync processor to store data, and restarting the client. Alternatively, redacting the applicable events and clearing all storage will often fix most perceived issues. In some cases, no workarounds are possible.

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 · moderate confidence

matrix-js-sdk versions prior to 19.4.0 have a vulnerability where events containing special strings in key places can disrupt SDK functionality, causing the SDK to exclude or corrupt runtime data presented to the consumer while appearing to operate normally.

MitigationUpgrade to matrix-js-sdk version 19.4.0 or later. Users unable to upgrade may attempt workaround by redacting problematic events, waiting for sync storage, and restarting the client, though workarounds may not always resolve the issue.

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
Javascript SdkApplication
Affected:< 19.4.0

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

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

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. Identify matrix-js-sdk version in use
    Run 'npm list matrix-js-sdk' in your project directory, or check your package.json dependencies for the matrix-js-sdk entry, or inspect node_modules/matrix-js-sdk/package.json for the 'version' field
    Affected if The version listed is below 19.4.0 (e.g., 19.3.0, 19.0.0, 18.x.x, etc.)
  2. Confirm SDK is processing Matrix events
    Check if your application uses the SDK to connect to a Matrix homeserver and receive sync responses via client.sync() or similar methods
    Affected if Your application actively connects to Matrix servers and processes incoming events from other users
  3. Verify runtime behavior matches expected symptoms
    Monitor your application for unexpected data omissions or corruption in chat content, member lists, or room state that is not visible to users but affects internal SDK state
    Affected if Users report missing messages, incorrect room membership, or state inconsistencies that appear normal on the surface but indicate internal SDK data corruption

You are affected if your installed matrix-js-sdk version is lower than 19.4.0 AND your application processes events from Matrix servers, as the vulnerability allows maliciously crafted events to corrupt SDK data silently.

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 19.4.0 or later
Fixed in 19.4.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to matrix-js-sdk version 19.4.0 or later. Users unable to upgrade may attempt workaround by redacting problematic events, waiting for sync storage, and restarting the client, though workarounds may not always resolve the issue.

Recommended fix High confidence

matrix-js-sdk 19.4.0

  1. Check the current version of matrix-js-sdk in your project by running `npm list matrix-js-sdk` or checking your package.json
  2. Update matrix-js-sdk to version 19.4.0 or later using your package manager (e.g., `npm install [email protected]` or `yarn upgrade [email protected]`)
  3. After upgrading, run your project's build process and tests to verify the upgrade does not break functionality
  4. If you cannot upgrade immediately, as a mitigation you can: redact the problematic events from your data store, wait for the sync processor to complete storing data, then restart the client; alternatively redact the events and clear all storage before restarting
  5. Re-deploy your application with the updated SDK to end users

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

Fix this in Javascript Sdk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,540
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,464.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-36059 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2022-36059 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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