# CVE-2022-43440: Privilege escalation via manipulated unixcat executable

> A site user can escalate privileges on the Checkmk server by manipulating the unixcat executable due to an uncontrolled search path element.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Feb 2023
- **Updated:** 24 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c5gc-w2vf-pmgw, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-43440

## What is CVE-2022-43440?

CVE-2022-43440 is a high-severity vulnerability in Checkmk Checkmk, published on 9 Feb 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Uncontrolled Search Path Element in Checkmk Agent in Tribe29 Checkmk before 2.1.0p1, before 2.0.0p25 and before 1.6.0p29 on a Checkmk server allows the site user to escalate privileges via a manipulated unixcat executable

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-43440?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Checkmk Checkmk.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-43440?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-43440 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-43440 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-43440 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Checkmk Checkmk

- [CVE-2025-39666](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39666/): omd: Local privilege escalation when executing omd commands as root (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2024-8606](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8606/): Fix 2FA bypass via RestAPI (critical 9.2)
- [CVE-2022-46836](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-46836/): PHP code injection in watolib (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2025-32919](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-32919/): Privilege Escalation in Windows License plugin for Checkmk Windows Agent (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-28827](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28827/): Privilege escalation in Windows agent (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-43440 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-43440 is a high-severity vulnerability in Checkmk Checkmk, published on 9 Feb 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-43440 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Checkmk Checkmk. 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-2022-43440/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43440/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-43440
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-43440
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-43440

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43440/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.