HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2022-1271
HIGH

CVE-2022-1271

CWE-179Published: August 31, 2022· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

8.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An arbitrary file write vulnerability was found in GNU gzip's zgrep utility. When zgrep is applied on the attacker's chosen file name (for example, a crafted file name), this can overwrite an attacker's content to an arbitrary attacker-selected file. This flaw occurs due to insufficient validation when processing filenames with two or more newlines where selected content and the target file names are embedded in crafted multi-line file names. This flaw allows a remote, low privileged attacker to force zgrep to write arbitrary files on the system.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2022-1271 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 8.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
gnu1 product(s)
gzip
Red Hat1 product(s)
jboss data grid
tukaani1 product(s)
xz
Source: NVD CPE · 4 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (18)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2022-1271
CVSS Score8.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-179
CISA KEVNo
Affected4 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 31, 2022

Related CVEs (CWE-179)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2022-1271 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.