# CVE-2022-39388: Istio may allow identity impersonation if user has localhost access


- **Severity:** High 7.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Nov 2022
- **Updated:** 23 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6c6p-h79f-g6p4

## What is CVE-2022-39388?

CVE-2022-39388 is a high-severity vulnerability in istio, published on 10 Nov 2022. 

### Official description

Istio is an open platform to connect, manage, and secure microservices. In versions on the 1.15.x branch prior to 1.15.3, a user can impersonate any workload identity within the service mesh if they have localhost access to the Istiod control plane. Version 1.15.3 contains a patch for this issue. There are no known workarounds.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-39388?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/istio/istio. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/istio/istio` | Go | From 1.15.0-beta.0 | 1.15.3 |
| `github.com/istio/istio` | Go | From 1.15.0-beta.0 | 1.15.3 |

Products: Istio Istio.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-39388?

Upgrade github.com/istio/istio to 1.15.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2022-39388 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-39388 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in istio

- [CVE-2021-31921](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-31921/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-34824](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34824/): Information disclosure in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-31837](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-31837/): Istio JWKS resolver to prevent private key material from being exposed when JWKS fetch fails. (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2021-39155](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-39155/): Authorization Policy Bypass Due to Case Insensitive Host Comparison (high 8.3)
- [CVE-2021-39156](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-39156/): Fragments in Path May Lead to Authorization Policy Bypass (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-39388 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-39388 is a high-severity vulnerability in istio, published on 10 Nov 2022. 
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-39388 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/istio/istio (Go): affected from 1.15.0-beta.0; fixed in 1.15.3
- github.com/istio/istio (Go): affected from 1.15.0-beta.0; fixed in 1.15.3

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-2022-39388/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-39388/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-39388
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-39388
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-39388

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-39388/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.