# CVE-2022-4171: demon image annotation <= 5.0 - Improper Input Restriction Validation

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass character length restrictions in the Demon Image Annotation plugin, allowing excessive data input.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Dec 2022
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xmpc-x94q-554f

## What is CVE-2022-4171?

CVE-2022-4171 is a medium-severity vulnerability in demonisblack demon image annotation, published on 13 Dec 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The demon image annotation plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to improper input validation in versions up to, and including 5.0. This is due to the plugin improperly validating the number of characters supplied during an annotation despite there being a setting to limit the number characters input. This means that unauthenticated attackers can bypass the length restrictions and input more characters than allowed via the settings.

Weakness: CWE-1284 (Improper Validation of Specified Quantity in Input)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-4171?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Superwhite Demon Image Annotation.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-4171?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-4171 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-4171 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-4171 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in demonisblack demon image annotation

- [CVE-2022-2864](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2864/): Cross-site request forgery in demon image annotation (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-40215](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40215/): WordPress Demon image annotation Plugin <= 5.1 is vulnerable to SQL Injection (high 7.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-4171 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-4171 is a medium-severity vulnerability in demonisblack demon image annotation, published on 13 Dec 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-2022-4171 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: demonisblack demon image annotation. 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-2022-4171/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4171/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-4171
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-4171
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-4171

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4171/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.