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CVE-2022-42948

Fortra Cobalt Strike User Interface Remote Code Execution

9.8 CRITICALActively exploited (CISA KEV)EPSS 2.71%
  1. Published24 Mar 2023
  2. Added to CISA KEV30 Mar 2023
  3. Remediation due20 Apr 2023
Actively exploited (CISA KEV)

Fortra Cobalt Strike User Interface contains an unspecified vulnerability rooted in Java Swing that may allow remote code execution.

Added to KEV: 30 Mar 2023Federal remediation due: 20 Apr 2023

Description

Cobalt Strike 4.7.1 fails to properly escape HTML tags when they are displayed on Swing components. By injecting crafted HTML code, it is possible to remotely execute code in the Cobalt Strike UI.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Helpsystems Cobalt Strike4.7.1

Remediation

No fixed version is recorded in the NVD data. Check the vendor advisory for the latest guidance.

Patch & vendor advisories

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2022-42948 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2022-42948 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 30 Mar 2023.

How severe is CVE-2022-42948?

CVE-2022-42948 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 2.71% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2022-42948?

Affected products include Helpsystems Cobalt Strike.

How do I fix CVE-2022-42948?

Apply the vendor's patch or advisory guidance, then verify no affected versions remain across your devices.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2022-42948 against the real software inventory on every managed device, as each hourly inventory arrives. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, a risk for it never ranks below high, and the update that fixes it moves to the Emergency patch lane. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.