Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2022-31814 is a critical-severity OS Command Injection (CWE-78) vulnerability in Netgate Pfblockerng. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked in the top 0.3% 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 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) 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.
CVE-2022-31814 is an OS command injection vulnerability, tracked as CWE-78, that affects the pfBlockerNG package in pfSense up through version 2.1.4_26. The flaw permits arbitrary operating-system command execution as root when specially crafted shell metacharacters are supplied in the HTTP Host header; version 3.x of the package is explicitly unaffected.
Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit the issue over the network without any user interaction or credentials. Successful exploitation grants full root-level control of the affected pfSense system, enabling arbitrary command execution, persistence, or further lateral movement within the environment.
Public references point to a corrective commit merged via the FreeBSD-ports repository and advise users to upgrade pfBlockerNG to a fixed release or migrate to the unaffected 3.x branch. Netgate documentation for pfBlockerNG also directs administrators to apply available package updates through the pfSense interface.
The CVE maintains a very high EPSS score, with a recorded peak of 0.9710 and a current value of 0.9432, and public proof-of-concept exploits have been posted to PacketStorm, indicating active interest in the flaw after disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2022-53199
Vulnerability Data
pfSense pfBlockerNG through 2.1.4_26 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands as root via shell metacharacters in the HTTP Host header. NOTE: 3.x is unaffected.
- 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
Directly requires validation and sanitization of untrusted HTTP Host header input to block shell metacharacters that enable OS command injection.
Mandates timely application of the pfBlockerNG package update or migration to the unaffected 3.x branch that eliminates the command-injection flaw.
Enforces boundary-protection rules that can restrict or deny unauthenticated network access to the pfSense web interface where the vulnerable Host-header processing occurs.
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.PS-06's SDLC practices directly require secure coding and input handling that blocks command-injection defects, yet the single broad outcome leaves many specific neutralization vectors and verification gaps unaddressed.
Routine patching/maintenance can remediate known command-injection CVEs in dependencies (partial forward) but does nothing to stop developers from introducing improper neutralization in custom code (none reverse).
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.
Security testing and code review target insecure use of operating-system command interfaces, catching command-injection flaws introduced during development.