CVE-2022-4515: A flaw was found in Exuberant Ctags in the way it handles the "-o" option

This month

HIGH 7.8WATCHLISTMITIGATEMITIGATE

CVE-2022-4515 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.8) affecting exuberant ctags, debian linux. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

A flaw was found in Exuberant Ctags in the way it handles the "-o" option. This option specifies the tag filename. A crafted tag filename specified in the command line or in the configuration file results in arbitrary command execution because the externalSortTags() in sort.c calls the system(3) function in an unsafe way.

Why this priority

High severity
Public exploit reference
On your watchlist

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.8 (High)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	0.6% (top 51%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-78
Published	2022-12-20
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): Red Hat, Inc. · Vendor: debian · exuberant ctags project

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2022-12-20 19:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 05:21 UTCUpdated Record last modified

exuberant ctags project exuberant ctags MITIGATE

Affected: all versions

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy exuberant-ctags || rpm -q exuberant-ctags || exuberant-ctags --version

No fixed or unaffected release known

Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory, disable the affected feature, or restrict network access.

debian debian linux MITIGATE

Affected: 10.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 10.0

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2022-4515?

exuberant ctags: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; debian linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2022-4515 being exploited?

CVE-2022-4515 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2022-4515 affect?

CVE-2022-4515 affects exuberant ctags, debian linux. Severity is high (CVSS 7.8). A flaw was found in Exuberant Ctags in the way it handles the "-o" option. This option specifies the tag filename. A crafted tag filename specified in the command line or in the configuration file results in arbitrary command execution beca

How urgent is CVE-2022-4515?

Priority 50/100. High severity; Public exploit reference; On your watchlist

Software pages

Debian vulnerabilities

References

← Back to latest CVEs