CVE-2023-22809
In Sudo before 1.9.12p2, the sudoedit (aka -e) feature mishandles extra arguments passed in the user-provided environment variables (SUDO_EDITOR, VISUAL, and EDITOR), allowing a local attacker to append arbitrary entries to the list of files to process. This can lead to privilege escalation. Affected versions are 1.8.0 through 1.9.12.p1. The problem exists because a user-specified editor may contain a "--" argument that defeats a protection mechanism, e.g., an EDITOR='vim -- /path/to/extra/file' value.
- CVSS
- 7.8Highscored by CISA
- Exploited in the wild
- Not knownPublic exploit code; not in CISA KEV
- EPSS
- 55.4%chance of exploitation in the next 30 daystop 1% of scored CVEsFIRST score of 11 Nov 2026
- Fix
- Patch availablesee the advisories in the references
- Published
- 18 Jan 2023analysed here 12 Nov 2026
Summary
Triage
The summary, impact and action text on this page are written by our AI analysis pipeline, or taken from the NVD description when a CVE was imported from NVD. They are not the vendor's wording: check them against the sources. A longer AI executive summary and technical analysis are generated for signed-in accounts on the Max plan.
Affected products
Products named in our analysis
- sudo_project:sudo
- debian:debian_linux
- fedoraproject:fedora
- apple:macos
Fix and mitigation
WAF and other mitigations
Can a WAF block it? No. The attack needs local access to the machine, so a WAF is not on its path.
Also consider: patch
Based on the attack vector (local or physical access). We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.
Remediation steps (AI-written)
Step-by-step remediation is generated for accounts on the Max plan, for CVEs that match a technology in their stack. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
Exploitation evidence
- CISA KEV catalog
- Not listed as of our last sync.
- Public exploit code
- Yes: 1 on Exploit-DB · 1 Metasploit module · 12 GitHub proofs of concept
- CISA SSVC
- exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact totalAssessed by CISA 4 Apr 2025 (SSVC 2.0.3). Exploitation is none, poc (public proof of concept) or active.
Exploit-DB
- sudo 1.8.0 to 1.9.12p1 - Privilege Escalationlocal, 3 Apr 2023
Metasploit
- exploit/linux/local/sudoedit_bypass_priv_escexploit, rank excellent
GitHub proofs of concept
- n3m1sys/CVE-2023-22809-sudoedit-privesc164 stars
- M4fiaB0y/CVE-2023-228096 stars
- P4x1s/CVE-2023-22809-sudo-POC6 stars
- asepsaepdin/CVE-2023-228096 stars
and 8 more repositories
Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.
Timeline
- 18 Jan 2023Published
- 21 Jan 2023First public exploit or proof of concept2 days later
- 4 Apr 2025CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none805 days (about 2 years) later
- 4 Apr 2025CVE record last updatedsame day later
- 12 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com587 days (about 2 years) later
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
| Metric | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Attack vector | LocalLocal access required (shell, logged-in user). | Local access required (shell, logged-in user). |
| Attack complexity | LowRepeatable attack, no special conditions. | Repeatable attack, no special conditions. |
| Privileges required | LowThe attacker needs basic user privileges. | The attacker needs basic user privileges. |
| User interaction | NoneNo victim action needed. | No victim action needed. |
| Scope | UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component. | Impact stays within the vulnerable component. |
| Confidentiality | HighTotal data disclosure possible. | Total data disclosure possible. |
| Integrity | HighComplete modification possible. | Complete modification possible. |
| Availability | HighFull outage possible. | Full outage possible. |
Common questions
Is CVE-2023-22809 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2023-22809 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 55% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2023-22809?
CVE-2023-22809 is rated High with a CVSS score of 7.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2023-22809?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2023-22809. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2023-22809 affect?
CVE-2023-22809 affects sudo_project:sudo, debian:debian_linux, fedoraproject:fedora, apple:macos. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
References
14 references in the CVE record, grouped by the tags the record gives them.
Advisories (4)
- debian.org /security/2023/dsa-5321
- lists.fedoraproject.org /archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2QDGFCGAV5QRJC
- lists.fedoraproject.org /archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/G4YNBTTKTRT2ME
- security.gentoo.org /glsa/202305-12
Other links (10)
- synacktiv.com /sites/default/files/2023-01/sudo-CVE-2023-22809.pdf
- sudo.ws /security/advisories/sudoedit_any/
- lists.debian.org /debian-lts-announce/2023/01/msg00012.html
- openwall.com /lists/oss-security/2023/01/19/1
- security.netapp.com /advisory/ntap-20230127-0015/
- packetstormsecurity.com /files/171644/sudo-1.9.12p1-Privilege-Escalation.html
Show 4 more
- support.apple.com /kb/HT213758
- packetstormsecurity.com /files/172509/Sudoedit-Extra-Arguments-Privilege-Escalation.html
- seclists.org /fulldisclosure/2023/Aug/21
- packetstormsecurity.com /files/174234/Cisco-ThousandEyes-Enterprise-Agent-Virtual-Appliance-Arbitrary-Fi
Where the data on this page comes from
- CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
- NVD: CVSS and CPE data
- CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
- FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
- Exploit-DB: published exploits
- Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules
- PoC-in-GitHub: GitHub repositories that claim a proof of concept
Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.
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