CVE-2022-23531

References

• https://semgrep.dev/r?q=trailofbits.python.tarfile-extractall-traversal.tarfile-extractall-traversal
• https://www.trellix.com/en-us/about/newsroom/stories/research/tarfile-exploiting-the-world.html
• https://docs.python.org/3/library/tarfile.html#tarfile.TarFile.extractall

Running GuardDog against a specially-crafted package can allow an attacker to write an arbitrary file on the machine where GuardDog is executed.

This is due to a path traversal vulnerability when extracting the .tar.gz file of the package being scanned, which exists by design in the tarfile.TarFile.extractall function. See also https://docs.python.org/3/library/tarfile.html#tarfile.TarFile.extractall

Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.

CVE-2022-23531 has a CVSS score of 5.8 (Low). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (0.1.5); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Upgrade to GuardDog v0.1.5 or more recent.

1. What is CVE-2022-23531? CVE-2022-23531 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in guarddog (pip), affecting versions < 0.1.5. It is fixed in 0.1.5. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-23531? CVE-2022-23531 has a CVSS score of 5.8 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of guarddog are affected by CVE-2022-23531? guarddog (pip) versions < 0.1.5 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-23531? Yes. CVE-2022-23531 is fixed in 0.1.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-23531 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-23531 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2022-23531 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2022-23531? Upgrade guarddog to 0.1.5 or later.