CVE-2022-29257
Code Signing Validation Bypass vulnerability in electron (npm)
What is CVE-2022-29257 About?
This vulnerability is a Code Signing Validation Bypass in Electron that allows malicious update packages to pass validation despite containing harmful code. The impact enables attackers to serve compromised updates if they control the update server. Exploitation requires significant control over the update infrastructure, making it a high-privilege attack.
Affected Software
- electron
- >16.0.0, <16.2.0
- <15.5.0
- >17.0.0, <17.2.0
- >18.0.0-beta.1, <18.0.0-beta.6
Technical Details
This vulnerability exists within Electron's auto-update mechanism, specifically concerning how it validates signed update packages. Attackers who already have control over an application's update server or update storage infrastructure can exploit this flaw. The vulnerability allows them to craft update packages that, despite containing malicious code in some components (e.g., specific files or modules within the package), can still successfully pass the code signing validation checks implemented by Electron. This means that even if the main part of the update package is legitimately signed, the Electron application fails to detect the malicious alterations within certain components, leading to the execution of attacker-controlled code during the update process. The core technical mechanism exploited is a weakness in the granular verification of signed update package contents, where not all components or modifications are thoroughly checked against the trusted signature.
What is the Impact of CVE-2022-29257?
Successful exploitation may allow attackers who control the update server to execute arbitrary malicious code on user systems by distributing compromised update packages.
What is the Exploitability of CVE-2022-29257?
Exploitation of this vulnerability has high complexity and significant prerequisites. An attacker must first gain control over the target application's update server or update storage infrastructure. This implies a high level of access and privilege within the victim's infrastructure—potentially administrative access to servers or storage accounts. No specific authentication is required at the client-side for the update process itself, but the attacker needs to authenticate to and compromise the update infrastructure. This is primarily a remote attack, as the attacker delivers the malicious update package over the network. The special condition is that the code signing validation mechanism in older Electron versions contains a flaw that allows partial tampering of update packages while maintaining a valid signature. The severity of this vulnerability is mitigated by the prerequisite of already compromising the update infrastructure, which is a significant barrier. However, if that barrier is breached, the impact is severe. The risk factors increasing exploitation likelihood include weak security practices surrounding the update server's access controls and overall infrastructure security.
What are the Known Public Exploits?
| PoC Author | Link | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| No known exploits | ||
What are the Available Fixes for CVE-2022-29257?
Available Upgrade Options
- electron
- <15.5.0 → Upgrade to 15.5.0
- electron
- >16.0.0, <16.2.0 → Upgrade to 16.2.0
- electron
- >17.0.0, <17.2.0 → Upgrade to 17.2.0
- electron
- >18.0.0-beta.1, <18.0.0-beta.6 → Upgrade to 18.0.0-beta.6
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What are Similar Vulnerabilities to CVE-2022-29257?
Similar Vulnerabilities: CVE-2021-3640 , CVE-2021-34493 , CVE-2020-13777 , CVE-2020-15967 , CVE-2021-26233
