CVE-2022-39243

NuProcess vulnerable to command-line injection through insertion of NUL character(s)

Workarounds

Users of the library can sanitize command strings to remove NUL characters prior to passing them to NuProcess for execution.

References

None.

In all the versions of NuProcess where it forks processes by using the JVM's Java_java_lang_UNIXProcess_forkAndExec method (1.2.0+), attackers can use NUL characters in their strings to perform command line injection. Java's ProcessBuilder isn't vulnerable because of a check in ProcessBuilder.start. NuProcess is missing that check.

This vulnerability can only be exploited to inject command line arguments on Linux.

• On macOS, any argument with a NUL character is truncated at that character. This means the malicious arguments are never seen by the started process.
• On Windows, the entire command line is truncated at the first NUL character. This means the malicious arguments, and any intentional arguments provided after them, are never seen by the started process.

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-2022-39243 has a CVSS score of 8.4 (High). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (2.0.5); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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2.0.5

1. What is CVE-2022-39243? CVE-2022-39243 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in com.zaxxer:nuprocess (maven), affecting versions >= 1.2.0, < 2.0.5. It is fixed in 2.0.5. Untrusted input is inserted into a command that is later executed by the application, allowing the attacker to alter the intent of that command.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-39243? CVE-2022-39243 has a CVSS score of 8.4 (High). 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 com.zaxxer:nuprocess are affected by CVE-2022-39243? com.zaxxer:nuprocess (maven) versions >= 1.2.0, < 2.0.5 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-39243? Yes. CVE-2022-39243 is fixed in 2.0.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-39243 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-39243 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-2022-39243 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-2022-39243? Upgrade com.zaxxer:nuprocess to 2.0.5 or later.