# CVE-2022-23220: Auth bypass in n/a

> Local users can execute arbitrary code as root via USBView due to misconfigured Polkit settings allowing unauthenticated pkexec usage.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 21 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-23220, DSA-5052-1, GHSA-crwr-hcrm-rq6f, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-23220, USN-5249-1, openSUSE-SU-2024:11774-1

## What is CVE-2022-23220?

CVE-2022-23220 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 21 Jan 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

USBView 2.1 before 2.2 allows some local users (e.g., ones logged in via SSH) to execute arbitrary code as root because certain Polkit settings (e.g., allow_any=yes) for pkexec disable the authentication requirement. Code execution can, for example, use the --gtk-module option. This affects Ubuntu, Debian, and Gentoo.

Weakness: CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-23220?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `usbview` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 3.0-1.1 |

Products: Usbview Project Usbview.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-23220?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2022-23220 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-23220 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-23220 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-23220 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 21 Jan 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-23220 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23220/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23220/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-23220
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23220
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-23220

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23220/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.