# CVE-2022-23773: Auth bypass in n/a

> The Go toolchain misinterprets branch names as tags, allowing attackers to bypass access controls and create tags when only branch creation is permitted.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Feb 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** AZL-8513, BIT-golang-2022-23773, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-23773, GHSA-52j8-p7r3-733m, GO-2022-0318, OESA-2022-1606, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-23773

## What is CVE-2022-23773?

CVE-2022-23773 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Golang Go, published on 11 Feb 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

cmd/go in Go before 1.16.14 and 1.17.x before 1.17.7 can misinterpret branch names that falsely appear to be version tags. This can lead to incorrect access control if an actor is supposed to be able to create branches but not tags.

Weakness: CWE-436 (Interpretation Conflict)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-23773?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including golang and toolchain. It affects 5 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `golang` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.16.14, 1.17.7 |
| `toolchain` | Go | All versions | 1.16.14, 1.17.7 |

Products: Golang Go, Netapp Beegfs Csi Driver, Netapp Cloud Insights Telegraf Agent, Netapp Kubernetes Monitoring Operator, Netapp Storagegrid.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-23773?

Upgrade golang to a fixed version for your release line: 1.16.14 or 1.17.7.

## Is CVE-2022-23773 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-23773 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- PoC repro of CVE-2022-23773 in Go (github_poc): https://github.com/danbudris/CVE-2022-23773-repro
- https://github.com/danbudris/CVE-2022-23773-repro-target (github_poc): https://github.com/danbudris/CVE-2022-23773-repro-target
- https://github.com/YouShengLiu/CVE-2022-23773-Reproduce (github_poc): https://github.com/YouShengLiu/CVE-2022-23773-Reproduce

## Other vulnerabilities in Golang Go

- [CVE-2020-0601](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-0601/): Microsoft Windows CryptoAPI Spoofing (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-27143](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27143/): Missing bound checks can lead to memory corruption in safe Go in cmd/compile (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-24790](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-24790/): Unexpected behavior from Is methods for IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses in net/netip (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-39320](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-39320/): Arbitrary code execution via go.mod toolchain directive in cmd/go (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-24540](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-24540/): Improper handling of JavaScript whitespace in html/template (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-23773 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-23773 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Golang Go, published on 11 Feb 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-23773 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- golang (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 1.16.14, 1.17.7
- toolchain (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 1.16.14, 1.17.7

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-2022-23773/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23773/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-23773
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23773
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-23773

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23773/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.