Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
AWStats 7.x through 7.8 has a cross-site scripting flaw in the hostinfo plugin. If a user views affected output, attacker-controlled content could run in that user’s browser. Business risk is moderate because interaction is required and impact is limited, but exposed reporting portals should be updated promptly.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate, prompt patching item for exposed reporting systems. It is not documented as actively exploited in the supplied sources, but XSS in administrative or analytics views can affect trust, session safety, and downstream user actions.
Technical view
CVE-2022-46391 is CWE-79 XSS caused by the AWStats hostinfo plugin printing Net::XWhois responses without proper checks. CVSS 3.1 is 6.1: network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, user interaction required, changed scope, low confidentiality and integrity impact, no availability impact.
Likely exposure
Most likely exposure is AWStats 7.x through 7.8 installations where the hostinfo plugin is present and reachable. The source bundle does not provide populated CPEs or a complete platform matrix, but Debian and Fedora advisories indicate packaged AWStats deployments needed security updates.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited active exploitation. Exploitation requires a victim interaction path and results in browser-side script execution, not direct server compromise based on the provided CVSS and description.
Researcher notes
Key evidence is concise: AWStats 7.x through 7.8, hostinfo plugin, unsafely printed Net::XWhois response, CWE-79, and CVSS 6.1. The CVE record lacks populated affected CPE data, so validation should rely on actual AWStats versioning and distribution advisories.
Mitigation direction
- Apply AWStats security updates from your vendor or Linux distribution.
- Check AWStats upstream and distribution advisories for the fixed version relevant to your build.
- Prioritize internet-accessible AWStats reporting portals and shared analytics systems.
- If updates are unavailable, review vendor guidance before changing hostinfo plugin exposure.
- Track Debian and Fedora package advisories if using those distributions.
Validation and detection
- Inventory AWStats installations and confirm whether versions are 7.x through 7.8.
- Determine whether the hostinfo plugin is enabled or reachable by users.
- Verify installed packages include Debian, Fedora, or vendor security fixes.
- Review web server access controls for AWStats reporting paths.
- Check logs and browser security reports for suspicious script-related activity.
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
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.
CWE-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2022-46391 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
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:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N2.82.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.1MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/eldy/AWStats/pull/226CVE reference
- [debian-lts-announce] 20221205 [SECURITY] [DLA 3225-1] awstats security updateCVE reference · mailing-list
- FEDORA-2023-b645c7fedaCVE reference · vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2023-fda5480804CVE reference · vendor-advisory
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.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.