CVE-2022-45491
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 · uneditedBuffer overflow vulnerability in function json_parse_value in sheredom json.h before commit 0825301a07cbf51653882bf2b153cc81fdadf41 (November 14, 2022) allows attackers to code arbitrary code and gain escalated privileges.
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in the json_parse_value function of the sheredom json.h single-header JSON parsing library allows attackers to overwrite memory and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The flaw exists in versions prior to commit 0825301a07cbf51653882bf2b153cc81fdadf41 released November 14, 2022.
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< 2022-11-14CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate json.h in your codebaseSearch your source directories for files named 'json.h' using: find . -name 'json.h' -o -name 'json.hpp' 2>/dev/nullAffected if A file named json.h from the sheredom library is present in your project
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Check the header version or dateOpen the json.h file and look near the top for version comments, dates, or commit hashes. Check the file modification date: ls -la path/to/json.hAffected if The file lacks version info, shows a date before November 14 2022, or references commits before 0825301a07cbf51653882bf2b153cc81fdadf41
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Verify json_parse_value function usageSearch your codebase for calls to json_parse_value or usage of the json_parse function which internally calls it: grep -r 'json_parse' --include='*.c' --include='*.h' .Affected if Your code invokes json_parse or directly calls json_parse_value to process untrusted JSON input
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Check for untrusted JSON input handlingReview your JSON parsing code paths to determine if external or untrusted data is passed to json_parse_value. Look for files reading JSON from network, files, or user inputAffected if Your application parses JSON from untrusted sources using this library
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Confirm library originVerify the header is from sheredom by checking for the original author credit or project reference: grep -i 'sheredom' path/to/json.h | head -5Affected if The file is the sheredom json.h library and the above version checks indicate it is older than the patched commit
You are affected if your codebase contains the sheredom json.h header dated before November 14 2022 (or lacking version commit 0825301a07cbf51653882bf2b153cc81fdadf41) and your application uses it to parse untrusted JSON input.
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 · scoped2022-11-14
Update sheredom json.h to the patched version (commit 0825301a07cbf51653882bf2b153cc81fdadf41 or later) and recompile all code that includes this header. Audit existing JSON parsing code for potential exploitable conditions.
Update to json.h from commit 0825301a07cbf51653882bf2b153cc81fdadf41 (2022-11-14) or later
- 1. Locate the json.h header file in your project (typically in include/ or thirdparty/ directories)
- 2. Navigate to the sheredom/json.h repository at github.com/sheredom/json.h
- 3. Download or copy the updated json.h from commit 0825301a07cbf51653882bf2b153cc81fdadf41 or any version dated November 14, 2022 or later
- 4. Replace the existing vulnerable json.h file in your project with the fixed version
- 5. Rebuild your project to ensure the new header is compiled
- 6. Test the application to verify JSON parsing functionality still works correctly after the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-45491 — 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-2022-45491 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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