CVE-2022-38180: Ktor JetBrain Ktor Before 2.1.0 Vulnerable Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hccx-cg4v-hrjx
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2022-38180 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) jetbrain ktor before 2.1.0 vulnerable vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Ktor libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves jetbrain ktor before 2.1.0 vulnerable to selection of wrong authentication provider. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.0.

CVE-2022-38180 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2022-38180
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hccx-cg4v-hrjx
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Ktor
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2022-38180

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Ktor dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

io.ktor:ktor fixed: 2.1.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.ktor</groupId>
    <artifactId>ktor</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.0</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.ktor

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2022-38180, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.ktor

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Ktor in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.ktor command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Ktor, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In JetBrains Ktor before 2.1.0 the wrong authentication provider could be selected in some cases

CVE-2022-38180 Affected Ktor Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
io.ktor:ktor
maven/io.ktor/ktor
Maven
< 2.1.0
2.1.0

References

NVD — CVE-2022-38180 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38180
Ktor Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ktorio/ktor/pull/3092
Ktor Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ktorio/ktor
Ktor Security Information SECURITY
https://www.jetbrains.com/privacy-security/issues-fixed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-38180?
CVE-2022-38180 is a security vulnerability in Ktor involving JetBrain Ktor before 2.1.0 vulnerable to selection of wrong authentication provider under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Ktor versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.0 across affected packages: io.ktor:ktor.
What version fixes CVE-2022-38180?
Upgrading to 2.1.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is ktor affected?
Yes, io.ktor:ktor is affected in releases prior to 2.1.0. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-38180?
CVE-2022-38180 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2022-38180?
CVE-2022-38180 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2022-38180?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.ktor'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-hccx-cg4v-hrjx",
  "modified" : "2022-08-30T19:56:48Z",
  "published" : "2022-08-13T00:00:43Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2022-38180" ],
  "summary" : "JetBrain Ktor before 2.1.0 vulnerable to selection of wrong authentication provider",
  "details" : "In JetBrains Ktor before 2.1.0 the wrong authentication provider could be selected in some cases",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "io.ktor:ktor"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38180"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ktorio/ktor/pull/3092"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ktorio/ktor"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.jetbrains.com/privacy-security/issues-fixed"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-08-30T19:56:48Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-08-12T10:15:00Z"
  }
}