# CVE-2022-41955: Autolab is vulnerable to remote code execution (RCE) via MOSS functionality

> Instructors can execute arbitrary code on the server via the MOSS functionality in Autolab, requiring a patch or feature disablement.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Jan 2023
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x5r3-vf3p-3269

## What is CVE-2022-41955?

CVE-2022-41955 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Autolab, published on 14 Jan 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Autolab is a course management service, initially developed by a team of students at Carnegie Mellon University, that enables instructors to offer autograded programming assignments to their students over the Web. A remote code execution vulnerability was discovered in Autolab's MOSS functionality, whereby an instructor with access to the feature might be able to execute code on the server hosting Autolab. This vulnerability has been patched in version 2.10.0. As a workaround, disable the MOSS feature if it is unneeded by replacing the body of `run_moss` in `app/controllers/courses_controller.rb` with `render(plain: "Feature disabled", status: :bad_request) && return`.

Weakness: CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command), CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-41955?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Autolabproject Autolab.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-41955?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-41955 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-41955 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-41955 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Autolab

- [CVE-2022-0936](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0936/): Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Stored in autolab/autolab (high 7.6)
- [CVE-2024-53258](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53258/): download_all_submissions allows student to download another student's submissions in Autolab (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2024-49376](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49376/): Autolab Has Misconfigured Reset Password Permissions (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2024-53260](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53260/): Course Roster vulnerable to CSV Injection in Autolab (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2023-32317](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32317/): Autolab tar slip in cheat checker functionality (`GHSL-2023-082`) (medium 6.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-41955 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-41955 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Autolab, published on 14 Jan 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-41955 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Autolab. 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-2022-41955/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-41955/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-41955
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-41955
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-41955

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-41955/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.