CVE-2022-24637
Openwebanalytics Open Web Analytics ≤ 1.7.4
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2022-24637 is a critical-severity Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269) vulnerability in Openwebanalytics Open Web Analytics. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked in the top 0.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
Open Web Analytics (OWA) versions before 1.7.4 contain a vulnerability that permits an unauthenticated remote attacker to obtain sensitive user information by leveraging improperly generated cache hashes. The root cause is that files created with the sequence '<?php rather than the intended "<?php are not processed by the PHP interpreter, allowing the attacker to read cached content containing credentials or tokens that can be used to escalate to administrative privileges. The issue is tracked as CWE-269 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8.
An unauthenticated attacker with network access can exploit the flaw to retrieve the sensitive cached data and subsequently obtain admin-level access within the OWA installation. Public exploit code demonstrating remote code execution chains that begin with this information disclosure has been published on PacketStorm.
The official fix is provided in the OWA 1.7.4 release, which corrects the PHP tag handling that leads to the cache exposure. Administrators are advised to upgrade immediately from any prior version.
The CVE maintains a very high EPSS score, currently 0.9331 with a recorded peak of 0.9690, indicating sustained exploitation interest after disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2022-1502
Vulnerability Data
Open Web Analytics (OWA) before 1.7.4 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to obtain sensitive user information, which can be used to gain admin privileges by leveraging cache hashes. This occurs because files generated with '<?php (instead of the intended "<?php…
more
sequence) aren't handled by the PHP interpreter.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
Likely ATT&CK TechniquesAI
Techniques this vulnerability likely enables, inferred from its description, weakness type, and attributed-actor tradecraft. Confidence is per-technique.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces access control so that unauthenticated users cannot retrieve the exposed cache files containing credentials or tokens.
Requires prompt application of the vendor patch (OWA 1.7.4) that corrects the PHP tag handling defect causing cache exposure.
Protects sensitive information at rest in cache files so that even if the malformed PHP tags allow file access the contents remain protected.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
PR.AA-05 enforces least privilege/SoD and periodic reviews that directly remove most privilege-assignment defects, yet CWE-269 also covers escalation paths and role design outside a single access-management control.
PR.AA-01 supplies credential/identity lifecycle support that can reduce some privilege-assignment errors but does not itself assign, modify, or check privileges, leaving most of CWE-269's risk unaddressed.
Config baselines and default reviews can enforce some privilege-related settings (one facet) but do not address code-level assignment/tracking logic that defines CWE-269.
PR.PS-05 can partially limit exploitability of some privilege issues via execution restrictions, but does not address the core design/implementation flaws of CWE-269 at all.
PR.DS-10 protects data-in-use without touching privilege assignment/tracking, so it neither prevents CWE-269 nor removes more than one narrow facet of its risk.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Requiring owner approval, segregation of duties, and periodic reviews prevents the assignment of excessive or unnecessary privileges to users or processes.
Enforcing minimum-necessary privileges, temporary grants, and separation of administrative versus normal identities prevents the over-assignment of rights that CWE-269 describes.
Dynamic techniques that grant the minimum necessary rights for a given time window and revoke them afterward reduce the window in which excessive or unnecessary privileges can be exploited.
Explicit restrictions on privileged access and segregation of duties limit the scope of privileges that can be assigned, reducing the chance that excessive or unnecessary privileges are granted to entities.
Defining and communicating authorization levels for each role limits the assignment of excessive or unnecessary privileges.
Separating duties such as developing software from administering production systems prevents any one person from accumulating excessive privileges that would constitute improper privilege management.