Summary
sharp vulnerable to Command Injection in post-installation over build environment
There's a possible vulnerability in logic that is run only at npm install time when installing versions of sharp prior to the latest v0.30.5.
This is not part of any runtime code, does not affect Windows users at all, and is unlikely to affect anyone that already cares about the security of their build environment. However, out of an abundance of caution, I've created this advisory.
If an attacker has the ability to set the value of the PKG_CONFIG_PATH environment variable in a build environment then they might be able to use this to inject an arbitrary command at npm install time.
I've used the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) calculator to determine the maximum possible impact, which suggests a "medium" score of 5.9, but for most people the real impact will be dealing with the noise from automated security tooling that this advisory will bring.
This problem was fixed in commit a6aeef6 and published as part of sharp v0.30.5.
Thank you very much to @dwisiswant0 for the responsible disclosure.
Remember: if an attacker has control over environment variables in your build environment then you have a bigger problem to deal with than this issue.
Impact
Untrusted input is inserted into a command that is later executed by the application, allowing the attacker to alter the intent of that command. Typical impact: arbitrary command execution in the application's environment.
CVE-2022-29256 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, high 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 (0.30.5); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-29256? CVE-2022-29256 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in sharp (npm), affecting versions < 0.30.5. It is fixed in 0.30.5. Untrusted input is inserted into a command that is later executed by the application, allowing the attacker to alter the intent of that command.
- How severe is CVE-2022-29256? CVE-2022-29256 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). 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.
- Which versions of sharp are affected by CVE-2022-29256? sharp (npm) versions < 0.30.5 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-29256? Yes. CVE-2022-29256 is fixed in 0.30.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-29256 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-29256 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2022-29256 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2022-29256? Upgrade
sharpto 0.30.5 or later.