CVE-2022-38752
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 · uneditedUsing snakeYAML to parse untrusted YAML files may be vulnerable to Denial of Service attacks (DOS). If the parser is running on user supplied input, an attacker may supply content that causes the parser to crash by stack-overflow.
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 confidenceCVE-2022-38752 is a Denial of Service vulnerability in the snakeYAML Java library. When parsing untrusted YAML files, an attacker can supply maliciously crafted YAML content that causes a stack overflow, crashing the parser. This affects any application using snakeYAML to process untrusted input.
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< 1.32CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify snakeYAML library versionLocate the snakeYAML jar file in your project dependencies (check pom.xml, build.gradle, or the lib directory) and note the version number. Common locations: Maven Central artifact ID is 'org.yaml:snakeyaml'. In Java applications, you can also run: Class.forName("org.yaml.snakeyaml.Yaml").getPackage().getImplementationVersion()Affected if The installed version is lower than 1.32 (versions 1.0 through 1.31 are vulnerable)
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Find snakeYAML in application dependenciesSearch your project's dependency manifest files (pom.xml, build.gradle, requirements.txt with jython, etc.) or compiled libraries for references to 'snakeyaml' or 'org.yaml.snakeyaml'. Also check application server lib folders if running in a container/JVMAffected if snakeYAML is present as a direct or transitive dependency in your application
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Confirm YAML parsing of external inputReview application code to identify if YAML files are parsed from sources outside the application's own trust boundary. Look for code paths handling uploaded files, API requests with YAML payloads, configuration loaded from user-controlled locations, or data imported from external systemsAffected if Your application parses YAML content from untrusted or external sources without prior validation
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Check for input validation before YAML parsingInspect the YAML parsing code path to determine if any validation, length limits, or sanitization is applied to the input before it reaches the snakeYAML parser. Look for checks on file size, content length, or schema validationAffected if YAML input is passed directly to the parser without size limits, validation, or sandboxing applied beforehand
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Verify stack size limits on YAML processingIf running in a JVM, check whether the Java process has restricted stack size (using -Xss flag) or if the YAML parser runs in an isolated process/container with limited stack resources. Review startup scripts and container configurationsAffected if The JVM process runs with default stack size and processes untrusted YAML without isolation
Your environment is affected if snakeYAML version 1.31 or earlier is in use AND your application parses YAML content from untrusted sources without input validation or sandboxing.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped1.32
Update snakeYAML to version 2.0 or later which contains the fix. If immediate update is not possible, implement input validation/length limits on YAML content before parsing and consider running the parser in a sandboxed or isolated process with limited stack size.
SnakeYAML version 1.32
- Identify all project dependencies that include SnakeYAML (check pom.xml, build.gradle, or similar dependency files)
- Update the SnakeYAML dependency version to 1.32 or later
- For Maven projects, update the dependency in pom.xml: <groupId>org.yaml</groupId><artifactId>snakeyaml</artifactId><version>1.32</version>
- For Gradle projects, update: implementation 'org.yaml:snakeyaml:1.32'
- Run your application's test suite to verify the upgrade does not break existing functionality
- Rebuild and redeploy the application
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,352.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-38752 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-38752 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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