Summary
CodeIgniter4 Potential Session Handlers Vulnerability
Workarounds
- Use only one session cookie.
References
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4
- Email us at SECURITY.md
Impact
When an application uses (1) multiple session cookies (e.g., one for user pages and one for admin pages) and (2) a session handler is set to DatabaseHandler, MemcachedHandler, or RedisHandler, then if an attacker gets one session cookie (e.g., one for user pages), they may be able to access pages that require another session cookie (e.g., for admin pages).
The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access. Typical impact: unauthorized access to functions or data reserved for authenticated parties.
CVE-2022-46170 has a CVSS score of 8.6 (High). The vector is network-reachable, 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 (4.2.11); 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Upgrade to version 4.2.11 or later.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-46170? CVE-2022-46170 is a high-severity improper authentication vulnerability in codeigniter4/framework (composer), affecting versions < 4.2.11. It is fixed in 4.2.11. The application does not adequately verify the identity of a user, device, or process before granting access.
- How severe is CVE-2022-46170? CVE-2022-46170 has a CVSS score of 8.6 (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.
- Which versions of codeigniter4/framework are affected by CVE-2022-46170? codeigniter4/framework (composer) versions < 4.2.11 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-46170? Yes. CVE-2022-46170 is fixed in 4.2.11. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-46170 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-46170 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-2022-46170 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-2022-46170? Upgrade
codeigniter4/frameworkto 4.2.11 or later.