Cyber Resilience

CVE-2022-47966

Zohocorp Manageengine Assetexplorer ≤ 6.9

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRansomware-linked
Published
18 January 2023
Modified
31 July 2026
KEV Added
23 January 2023
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.99 100.0th percentile
Risk Priority 97 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2022-47966 is a critical-severity Improper Input Validation (CWE-20) vulnerability in Zohocorp Manageengine Assetexplorer. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 0.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

Multiple Zoho ManageEngine on-premise products are affected by CVE-2022-47966, a remote code execution vulnerability stemming from the use of Apache Santuario xmlsec version 1.4.1. The products include ServiceDesk Plus through 14003, Access Manager Plus before 4308, ADAudit Plus before 7081, Endpoint Central before 10.1.2228.11, and numerous others such as Password Manager Pro, PAM 360, and Vulnerability Manager Plus. The issue arises because xmlsec's XSLT features place security responsibilities on the application, which the ManageEngine products did not implement, and exploitation requires that SAML SSO has been configured for the product.

Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit the flaw over the network when SAML SSO is active or has been previously enabled, achieving full remote code execution with impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8 and is associated with CWE-20 input validation weaknesses, allowing arbitrary code execution without requiring user interaction or credentials.

Public references include exploit code and technical analyses on Packet Storm and sites such as AttackerKB and Viettel Cybersecurity, confirming active interest in the issue. The EPSS score has reached a peak of 0.9752 with a current value of 0.9438.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Multiple Zoho ManageEngine on-premise products, such as ServiceDesk Plus through 14003, allow remote code execution due to use of Apache Santuario xmlsec (aka XML Security for Java) 1.4.1, because the xmlsec XSLT features, by design in that version, make the…

more

application responsible for certain security protections, and the ManageEngine applications did not provide those protections. This affects Access Manager Plus before 4308, Active Directory 360 before 4310, ADAudit Plus before 7081, ADManager Plus before 7162, ADSelfService Plus before 6211, Analytics Plus before 5150, Application Control Plus before 10.1.2220.18, Asset Explorer before 6983, Browser Security Plus before 11.1.2238.6, Device Control Plus before 10.1.2220.18, Endpoint Central before 10.1.2228.11, Endpoint Central MSP before 10.1.2228.11, Endpoint DLP before 10.1.2137.6, Key Manager Plus before 6401, OS Deployer before 1.1.2243.1, PAM 360 before 5713, Password Manager Pro before 12124, Patch Manager Plus before 10.1.2220.18, Remote Access Plus before 10.1.2228.11, Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) before 10.1.41. ServiceDesk Plus before 14004, ServiceDesk Plus MSP before 13001, SupportCenter Plus before 11026, and Vulnerability Manager Plus before 10.1.2220.18. Exploitation is only possible if SAML SSO has ever been configured for a product (for some products, exploitation requires that SAML SSO is currently active).

CWE(s)
KEV Date Added
23 January 2023

Related Threats

Threat-Actor AttributionAI

Cl0paka Clop
Cl0p ransomware operators mass-exploited CVE-2022-47966 in ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus (CISA AA23-250A, Mandiant/Mandiant threat intel, Sep 2023).

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1036.001 Invalid Code Signature Stealth
Adversaries may attempt to mimic features of valid code signatures to increase the chance of deceiving a user, analyst, or tool.
T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2022-35405Same product: Zohocorp Manageengine Access Manager Plusboth on KEV
CVE-2020-10189Same product class: network monitoring / SIEMboth on KEV
CVE-2021-35247Same product class: network monitoring / SIEMboth on KEV
CVE-2021-44077Same product: Zohocorp Manageengine Servicedesk Plusboth on KEV
CVE-2021-37415Same product: Zohocorp Manageengine Servicedesk Plusboth on KEV
CVE-2019-8394Same product: Zohocorp Manageengine Servicedesk Plusboth on KEV
CVE-2022-28810Same product: Zohocorp Manageengine Adselfservice Plusboth on KEV
CVE-2021-40539Same product: Zohocorp Manageengine Adselfservice Plusboth on KEV
CVE-2021-44515Same product class: network monitoring / SIEMboth on KEV
CVE-2025-11669Same product: Zohocorp Manageengine Access Manager Plus

Affected Assets

zohocorp
manageengine access manager plus
4.3 · ≤ 4.3
zohocorp
manageengine ad360
4.3 · ≤ 4.3
zohocorp
manageengine adaudit plus
7.0 · ≤ 7.0
zohocorp
manageengine admanager plus
7.1 · ≤ 7.1
zohocorp
manageengine adselfservice plus
6.2 · ≤ 6.2
zohocorp
manageengine analytics plus
5.1 · ≤ 5.1
zohocorp
manageengine assetexplorer
6.9 · ≤ 6.9
zohocorp
manageengine key manager plus
6.4 · ≤ 6.4
zohocorp
manageengine pam360
5.7 · ≤ 5.7
zohocorp
manageengine password manager pro
12.1 · ≤ 12.1
+12 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 6 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-20

Security testing and developer training directly verify and enforce proper input validation, reducing exploitability of injection and malformed-data weaknesses.

addresses: CWE-20

Security testing and evaluation at multiple SDLC stages directly detects missing or flawed input validation, with the required remediation process ensuring fixes are applied.

addresses: CWE-20

Directly implements checks on information inputs to reject invalid data before processing.

addresses: CWE-20

Spam protection mechanisms perform filtering and detection on inbound/outbound messages, directly compensating for missing or weak input validation of unsolicited content.

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 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly require and enforce input validation during development.

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.

finds

Testing against a defined set of requirements and using code review plus vulnerability scanning forces validation of inputs and handling of unanticipated conditions, reducing the chance that malformed data will be accepted.

prevents

Secure-coding guidelines and mandatory security testing (including code scans) compel developers to validate and sanitize inputs at design and implementation time, lowering the incidence of malformed or malicious data reaching downstream components.

prevents

Mandating input controls that include integrity checks and input validation ensures that untrusted data is examined before use, blocking the root cause of many injection and malformed-data weaknesses.

prevents

Security-by-design principles explicitly call for data validation and sanitization at every layer, reducing the chance that malformed or malicious input will be processed without scrutiny.

prevents

Requiring language-specific secure coding standards, peer review, SAST and documented mitigation of common programming errors forces validation of all inputs before they are trusted.

none

Regular automated validation of system software and data content, combined with scanning of all inbound files, enforces input validation at the boundary before untrusted content is processed.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

RHEL 8 (1 rule)
  • V-230265 RHEL 8 must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-20

References