CVE-2022-42948
CVE-2022-42948 is a security flaw in Fortra Cobalt Strike. Attackers can run their own code on Fortra Cobalt Strike. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 30 Mar 2023.[1]
Fortra Cobalt Strike 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. Fortra has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an user interface remote code execution in Fortra Cobalt Strike. In its words: “Fortra Cobalt Strike User Interface contains an unspecified vulnerability rooted in Java Swing that may allow remote code execution.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “Cobalt Strike 4.7.1 fails to properly escape HTML tags when they are displayed on Swing components. By injecting crafted HTML code, it is possible to remotely execute code in the Cobalt Strike UI.”[2]
The underlying weakness is cross-site scripting (CWE-79), CWE-116, in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
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; Fortra’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Fortra Cobalt Strike.
Most families won’t have Fortra Cobalt Strike; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 30 Mar 2023, 6 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 20 Apr 2023 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 3%. That’s in the top 15% 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
Fortra has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Fortra Cobalt Strike 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.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 20 Apr 2023 to fix it.
- 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
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 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 3%.[4] |
See also
Other Fortra Cobalt Strike flaws
- CVE-2022-39197: teamserver cross-site scripting (XSS) ·
Other Fortra flaws
- CVE-2025-10035, Fortra GoAnywhere MFT: deserialization of untrusted data ·
- CVE-2023-0669, Fortra GoAnywhere MFT: remote code execution ·
Other cross-site scripting flaws
- CVE-2026-42897, Microsoft: exchange server cross-site scripting ·
- CVE-2025-48700, Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS): cross-site scripting ·
- CVE-2025-66376, Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS): cross-site scripting ·
- CVE-2025-68461, Roundcube Webmail: cross-site scripting ·
- CVE-2021-26829, OpenPLC ScadaBR: cross-site scripting ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2023-0266, Linux Kernel: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2022-39197, Fortra Cobalt Strike: teamserver cross-site scripting (XSS) ·
- CVE-2022-38181, Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): mali GPU kernel driver use-after-free ·
- CVE-2022-3038, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2022-22706, Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): mali GPU kernel driver unspecified ·
Every Fortra flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in March 2023
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Fortra Cobalt Strike User Interface Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 30 Mar 2023.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2022-42948 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 24 Mar 2023.
- ^ Fortra. Advisories and fixes: cobaltstrike.com, cobaltstrike.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.027, percentile 86.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2022-42948”. 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.