# CVE-2022-3907: Clerk < 4.0.0 - Authentication Bypass and API Keys Disclosure

> Attackers can bypass authentication and disclose API keys in the Clerk WordPress plugin due to insecure comparison operators.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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:** 5 Dec 2022
- **Updated:** 23 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rrvm-94fq-4hmv

## What is CVE-2022-3907?

CVE-2022-3907 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Unknown Clerk, published on 5 Dec 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Clerk WordPress plugin before 4.0.0 is affected by time-based attacks in the validation function for all API requests due to the usage of comparison operators to verify API keys against the ones stored in the site options.

Weakness: CWE-203 (Observable Discrepancy)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-3907?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Clerk.io Clerk.io.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-3907?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-3907 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-3907 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-3907 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-3907 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-3907 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Unknown Clerk, published on 5 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-2022-3907 exists.

Affected product: Unknown Clerk. 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-2022-3907/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3907/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-3907
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-3907
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-3907

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3907/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.