# CVE-2022-38078: Command injection in Movable Type XMLRPC API

> Attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands via the XMLRPC API, requiring immediate upgrades to secure Movable Type installations.

- **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:** No
- **Published:** 24 Aug 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f342-4q2c-v2q2

## What is CVE-2022-38078?

CVE-2022-38078 is a critical command injection vulnerability in Six Apart Ltd. Movable Type XMLRPC API, published on 24 Aug 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Movable Type XMLRPC API provided by Six Apart Ltd. contains a command injection vulnerability. Sending a specially crafted message by POST method to Movable Type XMLRPC API may allow arbitrary Perl script execution, and an arbitrary OS command may be executed through it. Affected products and versions are as follows: Movable Type 7 r.5202 and earlier, Movable Type Advanced 7 r.5202 and earlier, Movable Type 6.8.6 and earlier, Movable Type Advanced 6.8.6 and earlier, Movable Type Premium 1.52 and earlier, and Movable Type Premium Advanced 1.52 and earlier. Note that all versions of Movable Type 4.0 or later including unsupported (End-of-Life, EOL) versions are also affected by this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-38078?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sixapart Movable Type.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-38078?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-38078 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-38078 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-38078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Six Apart Ltd. Movable Type XMLRPC API

- [CVE-2009-0752](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0752/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2021-20837](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20837/): Command injection in Movable Type (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-5742](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5742/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-25776](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-25776/): Code injection in Movable Type (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2020-5576](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5576/): Cross-site request forgery in Movable Type (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-38078 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-38078 is a critical command injection vulnerability in Six Apart Ltd. Movable Type XMLRPC API, published on 24 Aug 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-2022-38078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Six Apart Ltd. Movable Type XMLRPC API. 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-2022-38078/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38078/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-38078
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38078
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-38078

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38078/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.