# CVE-2022-23513: Pi-Hole/AdminLTE vulnerable due to improper access control in queryads endpoint

> Attackers can access blocked domain lists without authentication via the queryads endpoint, exposing personal blacklists.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 22 Dec 2022
- **Updated:** 15 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6qh8-6rrj-7497

## What is CVE-2022-23513?

CVE-2022-23513 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in pi-hole AdminLTE, published on 22 Dec 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Pi-Hole is a network-wide ad blocking via your own Linux hardware, AdminLTE is a Pi-hole Dashboard for stats and more. In case of an attack, the threat actor will obtain the ability to perform an unauthorized query for blocked domains on  `queryads` endpoint. In the case of application, this vulnerability exists because of a lack of validation in code on a root server path:
`/admin/scripts/pi-hole/phpqueryads.php.` Potential threat actor(s) are able to perform an unauthorized query search in blocked domain lists. This could lead to the disclosure for any victims' personal blacklists.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-23513?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Pi-Hole Adminlte.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-23513?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-23513 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-23513 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-23513 exists.

Public exploit code:

- AdminLTE PiHole 5.18 - Broken Access Control (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in pi-hole AdminLTE

- [CVE-2022-31029](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-31029/): Authenticated XSS in Pi-hole AdminLTE (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-23513 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-23513 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in pi-hole AdminLTE, published on 22 Dec 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-23513 exists.

Affected product: pi-hole AdminLTE. 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-2022-23513/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23513/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-23513
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23513
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-23513

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23513/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.