LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2022-38223: There is an out-of-bounds write in checkType located in etc.c in w3m 0.5.3.

There is an out-of-bounds write in checkType located in etc.c in w3m 0.5.3. It can be triggered by sending a crafted HTML file to the w3m binary. It allows an attacker to cause Denial of Service or possibly have unspecified other impact.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2022-38223 is a memory corruption flaw in w3m 0.5.3, a text-based web browser. A crafted HTML file can crash the w3m binary and may have other unspecified impact. Business urgency is highest where w3m processes untrusted HTML, such as admin tooling, mail workflows, terminals, or automated content handling.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted patching item, not an emergency, unless w3m handles untrusted HTML in production or automation. Prioritize internet-adjacent systems, shared terminals, and content-processing workflows.

Technical view

The CVE describes an out-of-bounds write in checkType in etc.c in w3m 0.5.3. The trigger is a crafted HTML file supplied to the w3m binary. Public metadata does not provide CVSS, CWE, exact fixed upstream version, or confirmed code execution; Fedora and Debian LTS advisories indicate downstream security updates exist.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to systems with w3m installed and used to open or process untrusted HTML. Risk rises if w3m is invoked by scripts, mail handlers, terminal workflows, or automated jobs that consume attacker-controlled content.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or any cited evidence of active exploitation. The known trigger is crafted HTML reaching w3m. Reported impact is denial of service, with possible unspecified other impact.

Researcher notes

Key uncertainty remains: public CVE data lacks CVSS, CWE, CPE, and a clearly named upstream fixed release. Distro advisories are the strongest remediation evidence. Do not claim exploitation beyond crafted-file crash behavior without additional sourced evidence.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory systems and containers for installed w3m packages.
  • Apply w3m security updates from the relevant OS vendor.
  • Check Fedora and Debian guidance for fixed package availability.
  • Avoid using w3m on untrusted HTML until patched.
  • Remove w3m where it is not operationally required.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm installed w3m package versions across endpoints and images.
  • Check package manager advisories for CVE-2022-38223 remediation status.
  • Review scripts or handlers that invoke w3m on external content.
  • Verify patched hosts no longer report vulnerable w3m packages.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
9

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2022-38223 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
10Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.