# CVE-2022-3553: X.org Server xquartz X11Controller.m denial of service

> A denial of service vulnerability in X.org Server's xquartz component allows attackers to disrupt service availability.

- **Severity:** Low 3.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L`)
- **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:** 17 Oct 2022
- **Updated:** 15 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-44757, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-3553, GHSA-h482-v3jv-v33c

## What is CVE-2022-3553?

CVE-2022-3553 is a low-severity denial of service vulnerability in X.org X Server, published on 17 Oct 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in X.org Server. This affects an unknown part of the file hw/xquartz/X11Controller.m of the component xquartz. The manipulation leads to denial of service. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. The identifier VDB-211053 was assigned to this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-404 (Improper Resource Shutdown or Release)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-3553?

It affects 1 product.


Products: X.org X Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-3553?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-3553 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-3553 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in X.org X Server

- [CVE-2026-56000](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-56000/): xorg-x11-server / xwayland GLX contextTags Use-After-Free in CommonMakeCurrent() (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2017-10971](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-10971/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-55999](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-55999/): xorg-server / xwayland glamor font atlas Heap Buffer Overflow (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2022-2319](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2319/): Memory corruption in xorg-x11-server (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-2320](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2320/): Memory corruption in xorg-x11-server (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-3553 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-3553 is a low-severity denial of service vulnerability in X.org X Server, published on 17 Oct 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-2022-3553 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: X.org X Server. 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-2022-3553/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3553/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-3553
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-3553
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-3553

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3553/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.