CVE-2022-47986
RCE in Ibm Aspera Faspex ≤ 4.4.1
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2022-47986 is a critical-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Ibm Aspera Faspex. 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.
IBM Aspera Faspex versions 4.4.2 Patch Level 1 and earlier contain a YAML deserialization vulnerability (CWE-502) that permits remote code execution. The flaw resides in an obsolete API endpoint that processes untrusted YAML input without proper validation, enabling an attacker to supply a malicious payload that the application deserializes and executes. The issue received a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8 and was assigned IBM X-Force ID 243512.
A remote attacker with no authentication or user interaction can send a specially crafted request to the exposed obsolete API call and achieve arbitrary code execution on the underlying system, resulting in full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
IBM removed the vulnerable obsolete API in Faspex 4.4.2 Patch Level 2. The vendor advisory at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6952319 directs customers to upgrade to the fixed release to eliminate the affected code path.
Public exploit code for the issue has been posted to PacketStorm, and the CVE maintains a high EPSS score with a recorded peak of 0.9640.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2022-50700
Vulnerability Data
IBM Aspera Faspex 4.4.2 Patch Level 1 and earlier could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system, caused by a YAML deserialization flaw. By sending a specially crafted obsolete API call, an attacker could exploit this…
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vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on the system. The obsolete API call was removed in Faspex 4.4.2 PL2. IBM X-Force ID: 243512.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 21 February 2023
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Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
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.
Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.
Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.
Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.
Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.
Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.
Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.
Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or 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-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.
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 includes validation of deserialization routines and the use of untrusted data, reducing the likelihood that unsafe object reconstruction will be deployed.
Requiring vetted libraries, regular updates and SAST before release reduces the likelihood that deserialization logic will accept and act on attacker-controlled serialized objects.
Regular scanning of third-party libraries and timely patching reduce the likelihood that unsafe deserialization vulnerabilities remain active.
Mandatory malware scanning of data received over networks or storage media intercepts malicious serialized payloads before they are deserialized by the target application.