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CVE-2022-22963

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for VMware Tanzu’s, see VMware Tanzu flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2022-22963 is a security flaw in VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud, VMware’s software for running virtual machines in data centres. Attackers can run their own code on VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 25 Aug 2022.[1]

VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. VMware Tanzu has published a fix or advice.

Description

CISA calls it a function remote code execution in VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud. In its words: “When using routing functionality in VMware Tanzu's Spring Cloud Function, it is possible for a user to provide a specially crafted SpEL as a routing-expression that may result in remote code execution and access to local resources.”[1]

The underlying weakness is code injection (CWE-94), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]

It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; VMware Tanzu’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud.

Most families won’t have VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 25 Aug 2022, 146 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 15 Sep 2022 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at over 99%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

VMware Tanzu has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]

  1. Check whether you use it.VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
  2. Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 15 Sep 2022 to fix it.
  3. If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.

You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at over 99%.[4]

See also

Other VMware Tanzu flaws

  • CVE-2020-5410, VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud Configuration (Config) Server: spring cloud config directory traversal ·
  • CVE-2018-1273, VMware Tanzu Spring Data Commons: property binder ·

Other code injection flaws

Added the same day

  • CVE-2022-26352, dotCMS: unrestricted upload of file ·
  • CVE-2022-24706, Apache CouchDB: insecure default initialization of resource ·
  • CVE-2022-24112, Apache APISIX: authentication bypass ·
  • CVE-2022-2294, WebRTC: heap buffer overflow ·
  • CVE-2021-39226, Grafana Labs Grafana: authentication bypass ·

Every VMware Tanzu flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in August 2022

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “VMware Tanzu Spring Cloud Function Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 25 Aug 2022.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2022-22963 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 1 Apr 2022.
  3. ^ VMware Tanzu. Advisories and fixes: tanzu.vmware.com, oracle.com, oracle.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.999, percentile 100.0, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2022-22963”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.