# CVE-2022-4055: Other in xdg-utils

> Attackers can craft malicious mailto URLs to force Thunderbird to attach local files, bypassing user expectations and potentially leaking sensitive data.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Nov 2022
- **Updated:** 29 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** ALSA-2025:7672, AZL-11465, AZL-37063, CLSA-2026-1791563013, DEBIAN-CVE-2022-4055, ECHO-581a-b1a0-1cc4, GHSA-p4jr-wm76-h2v3, RHSA-2025:7672, RLSA-2025:7672, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2022-4055, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2022-4055, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-4055

## What is CVE-2022-4055?

CVE-2022-4055 is a high-severity vulnerability in xdg-utils, published on 18 Nov 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

When xdg-mail is configured to use thunderbird for mailto URLs, improper parsing of the URL can lead to additional headers being passed to thunderbird that should not be included per RFC 2368. An attacker can use this method to create a mailto URL that looks safe to users, but will actually attach files when clicked.

Weakness: CWE-146 (Improper Neutralization of Expression/Command Delimiters)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-4055?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `xdg-utils` | AlmaLinux:9 | All versions | 1.1.3-13.el9_6 |
| `xdg-utils` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream | All versions | 0:1.1.3-13.el9_6 |
| `xdg-utils` | Rocky Linux:9 | All versions | 0:1.1.3-13.el9_6 |

Products: Freedesktop Xdg-Utils.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-4055?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-4055 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-4055 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in xdg-utils

- [CVE-2009-0068](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0068/): Code injection in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2020-27748](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27748/): Information disclosure in xdg-utils (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-4055 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-4055 is a high-severity vulnerability in xdg-utils, published on 18 Nov 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2022-4055 exists.

Affected product: xdg-utils. 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-2022-4055/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4055/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-4055
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-4055
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-4055

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4055/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.