# CVE-2022-36227: Null dereference in n/a

> A missing error check after calloc in libarchive causes a NULL pointer dereference, potentially leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Nov 2022
- **Updated:** 8 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2022-36227, ALSA-2023:2532, ALSA-2023:3018, AZL-11470, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-36227, DLA-3294-1, GHSA-gpgf-w78r-4pvj, JLSEC-2025-237, MGASA-2022-0453, OESA-2022-2123, OESA-2022-2124, OESA-2022-2126, RHSA-2023:2532, RHSA-2023:3018, RHSA-2024:0146, RLSA-2023:3018, SUSE-SU-2022:4202-1, SUSE-SU-2022:4209-1, SUSE-SU-2022:4296-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-36227, openSUSE-SU-2024:12588-1

## What is CVE-2022-36227?

CVE-2022-36227 is a critical vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 22 Nov 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In libarchive before 3.6.2, the software does not check for an error after calling calloc function that can return with a NULL pointer if the function fails, which leads to a resultant NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: the discoverer cites this CWE-476 remark but third parties dispute the code-execution impact: "In rare circumstances, when NULL is equivalent to the 0x0 memory address and privileged code can access it, then writing or reading memory is possible, which may lead to code execution."

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-36227?

It affects 4 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `bsdtar` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `libarchive` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `libarchive-devel` | AlmaLinux:8 | All versions | 3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `bsdtar` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive-devel` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdcat-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `bsdcpio-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `bsdtar` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `bsdtar-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `libarchive` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `libarchive-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `libarchive-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `bsdcat-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::crb | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `bsdcpio-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::crb | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `bsdtar-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::crb | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `libarchive-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::crb | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `libarchive-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::crb | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `libarchive-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::crb | All versions | 0:3.3.3-5.el8 |
| `bsdcat-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdcpio-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdtar` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdtar-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdcat-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdcpio-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdtar-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdcat-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::crb | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdcpio-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::crb | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdtar-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::crb | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::crb | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive-debugsource` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::crb | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `libarchive-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::crb | All versions | 0:3.5.3-4.el9 |
| `bsdcat-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.6::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-4.el8_6 |
| `bsdcpio-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.6::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-4.el8_6 |
| `bsdtar` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.6::baseos | All versions | 0:3.3.3-4.el8_6 |

Products: Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Libarchive Libarchive, Splunk Universal Forwarder.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-36227?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2022-36227 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-36227 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-36227 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-36227 is a critical vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 22 Nov 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-2022-36227 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. 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-2022-36227/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36227/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-36227
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-36227
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-36227

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36227/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.