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NginxWeb server / proxy · F5

CVE-2022-41742

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-10-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.4.0 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
NGINX Open Source before versions 1.23.2 and 1.22.1, NGINX Open Source Subscription before versions R2 P1 and R1 P1, and NGINX Plus before versions R27 P1 and R26 P1 have a vulnerability in the module ngx_http_mp4_module that might allow a local attacker to cause a worker process crash, or might result in worker process memory disclosure by using a specially crafted audio or video file. The issue affects only NGINX products that are built with the module ngx_http_mp4_module, when the mp4 directive is used in the configuration file. Further, the attack is possible only if an attacker can trigger processing of a specially crafted audio or video file with the module ngx_http_mp4_module.

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 memory handling vulnerability exists in NGINX ngx_http_mp4_module that allows a local attacker to cause worker process crashes or disclose worker process memory by tricking NGINX into processing a specially crafted MP4 audio or video file. This only affects NGINX instances built with the mp4 module and configured with the mp4 directive.

MitigationUpgrade NGINX to version 1.23.2+/1.22.1+ (Open Source) or R27 P1+/R26 P1+ (Plus), or disable the ngx_http_mp4_module if not required, and restrict access to MP4 file processing to trusted users only.

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
NginxWeb server / proxy
Affected:>= 1.1.3, <= 1.22.0>= r22, <= r27= 1.23.0= 1.23.1= r1= r2
Nginx Ingress ControllerWeb server / proxy
Affected:>= 1.9.0, <= 1.12.4>= 2.0.0, <= 2.4.0
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 35= 36= 37
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.0= 11.0

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 checks

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

  1. Verify the mp4 module is loaded
    Run 'nginx -V 2>&1 | grep -o mp4_module' to check if the ngx_http_mp4_module is compiled into the NGINX binary
    Affected if The mp4_module string appears in the output, indicating the module is present
  2. Check if the mp4 directive is configured
    Search nginx.conf and included files for the 'mp4' directive within a location or server block (e.g., 'location ~ \.mp4$' or 'mp4 on;')
    Affected if The mp4 directive is found and enabled in the configuration
  3. Determine the installed NGINX version
    Run 'nginx -v' or 'nginx -V 2>&1' to retrieve the exact version number of the NGINX installation
    Affected if The version falls within: 1.1.3 through 1.22.0, 1.23.0, 1.23.1, or any r22 through r27 / r1/r2 variant for F5 NGINX Plus; or for Nginx Ingress Controller, versions 1.9.0-1.12.4 or 2.0.0-2.4.0
  4. Check OS package version (if using distro packages)
    For Debian-based systems: 'dpkg -l | grep nginx'. For Fedora: 'rpm -qa | grep nginx'. Verify the exact version against the affected OS package lists (Debian 10.0, 11.0; Fedora 35, 36, 37)
    Affected if The installed package version matches one of the affected Debian or Fedora versions listed

A user is affected if NGINX has the ngx_http_mp4_module compiled in AND the mp4 directive is configured, AND the version falls within the affected ranges listed for the specific product.

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 2.4.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade NGINX to version 1.23.2+/1.22.1+ (Open Source) or R27 P1+/R26 P1+ (Plus), or disable the ngx_http_mp4_module if not required, and restrict access to MP4 file processing to trusted users only.

Recommended fix High confidence

NGINX Open Source: 1.23.2 or 1.22.1 | NGINX Plus: R27 P1 or R26 P1 | Nginx Ingress Controller: 1.12.5 or 2.5.0

  1. 1. Identify all nginx installations in your environment and verify which ones have the ngx_http_mp4_module enabled (check for 'mp4' directive in configuration files)
  2. 2. For NGINX Open Source: upgrade to version 1.23.2 or 1.22.1 (whichever matches your existing major.minor branch)
  3. 3. For NGINX Plus: upgrade to version R27 P1 or R26 P1 as applicable
  4. 4. For Nginx Ingress Controller: upgrade to version 1.12.5 or 2.5.0 (the next version beyond the affected range)
  5. 5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking 'nginx -v' output
  6. 6. Test that the mp4 streaming functionality works correctly with legitimate media files
  7. 7. Monitor for any unexpected behavior or crashes after the upgrade
Caveat Minor version upgrades typically have no breaking changes; verify any custom mp4 module configurations work with the new version

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

Fix this in Nginx Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
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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-2022-41742 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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