Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2022-0699 is a memory safety flaw in shapelib's shpsort utility affecting version 1.5.0 and older. An attacker able to feed crafted shapefile-related input could crash processing and may have unspecified additional impact. Treat this as urgent where shapelib handles untrusted geospatial files.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for geospatial services that process third-party files. The score is critical, but urgency should be highest where untrusted shapefile input reaches vulnerable shapelib components.
Technical view
The issue is a double-free condition in contrib/shpsort.c in shapelib 1.5.0 and earlier, reported with CVSS 3.1 score 9.8. The CVE record describes denial of service or unspecified impact through control over malloc. Public sources identify an upstream GitHub issue, a fixing commit, and a Debian LTS advisory.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in applications, batch jobs, or distributions that include shapelib 1.5.0 or older and process shapefile data from external or untrusted sources.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates remote, unauthenticated, low-complexity impact without user interaction, but practical exploitability details are incomplete.
Researcher notes
Evidence confirms the vulnerable file, affected version range, high CVSS rating, and upstream commit reference. The sources do not establish active exploitation, a named fixed release, or a precise impact beyond denial of service and unspecified malloc-related consequences.
Mitigation direction
- Identify all packaged and bundled shapelib copies.
- Update through vendor or distribution channels incorporating the upstream fix.
- Review the OSGeo fixing commit before backporting.
- Follow Debian LTS guidance where Debian packages are used.
- Restrict untrusted shapefile processing until patched.
Validation and detection
- Check installed shapelib versions against 1.5.0 and older.
- Confirm whether contrib/shpsort.c is built or shipped.
- Verify packages include the referenced upstream commit or vendor fix.
- Review ingestion paths for externally supplied shapefile data.
- Document any compensating controls for unpatched systems.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
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ATT&CK lookup starting points
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2022-0699 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.