CVE-2022-39209: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in cmark-gfm
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 27/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 2.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 82.1% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
- Fixed version: github cmark-gfm 0.29.0.gfm.6.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to github cmark-gfm 0.29.0.gfm.6 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
cmark-gfm is GitHub's fork of cmark, a CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C. In versions prior to 0.29.0.gfm.6 a polynomial time complexity issue in cmark-gfm's autolink extension may lead to unbounded resource exhaustion and subsequent denial of service. Users may verify the patch by running `python3 -c 'print("![l"* 100000 + "\n")' | ./cmark-gfm -e autolink`, which will resource exhaust on unpatched cmark-gfm but render correctly on patched cmark-gfm. This vulnerability has been patched in 0.29.0.gfm.6. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade should disable the use of the autolink extension.
- Published
- Sep 15, 2022
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 2.1% · 82th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-400
Report tools
Action score
27
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 26 / 40 · 6.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 2.1%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 6.5
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 7.5
- 1.0 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| github | cmark-gfm | cpe:2.3:a:github:cmark-gfm |
| fedoraproject | fedora | cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- fedoraproject fedora35
- fedoraproject fedora36
- fedoraproject fedora37
- github cmark-gfmbefore 0.29.0.gfm.6
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
github cmark-gfm
- < 0.29.0.gfm.6affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | cmark-gfm | before 0.29.0.gfm.6-2 | 0.29.0.gfm.6-2 |
| Debian:12 | ghostwriter | before 2.1.6+ds-1 | 2.1.6+ds-1 |
| Debian:12 | python-cmarkgfm | from 0 | — |
| Debian:12 | r-cran-commonmark | before 1.8.1-1 | 1.8.1-1 |
| Debian:12 | ruby-commonmarker | from 0 | — |
| Debian:13 | python-cmarkgfm | before 2024.11.20-1 | 2024.11.20-1 |
| Debian:13 | ruby-commonmarker | before 0.23.10-1 | 0.23.10-1 |
Same product
github: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2022-24724Integer overflow in table parsing extension leads to heap memory corruption40Plan
- CVE-2024-22051CommonMarker Integer Overflow Vulnerability39Monitor
- CVE-2023-37463Quadratic complexity bugs may lead to a denial of service30Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- Later →CVE-2023-22483Jan 23, 2023 · cmark-gfm Quadratic complexity bugs may lead to a denial of service30Monitor
- Later →CVE-2023-22484Jan 23, 2023 · Inefficient Quadratic complexity bug in handle_pointy_brace may lead to a denial of service30Monitor
- Later →CVE-2023-22485Jan 23, 2023 · cmark-gfm out-of-bounds read in validate_protocol21Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| github cmark-gfm | 0.29.0.gfm.6 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:cmark-gfm | 0.29.0.gfm.6-2 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:ghostwriter | 2.1.6+ds-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:python-cmarkgfm | 2024.11.20-1 · Debian:13 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:r-cran-commonmark | 1.8.1-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:ruby-commonmarker | 0.23.10-1 · Debian:13 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-400 · Uncontrolled Resource ConsumptionCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-primary
Root cause
Code that parses nested structures sets no depth or size limit. A small input can turn into a disproportionate processing load.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-400 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
function expand(node) {
return node.children.map(expand);
}Fixed
const MAX_DEPTH = 32;
function expand(node, depth = 0) {
if (depth > MAX_DEPTH) throw new Error("too deep");
return node.children.map((c) => expand(c, depth + 1));
}Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (5 more)Show less
- github.com/github/cmark-gfm/commit/9d57d8a23142b316282bdfc954cb0ecda40a8655
- github.com/github/cmark-gfm/security/advisories/GHSA-cgh3-p57x-9q7q
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/JIUCZN3PEKUCT2JQYQTYOVIJG2KSD6G7/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/JMGP65NANDVKPDMXMKYO2ZV2H2HZJY4P/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/UEAAAI4OULDYQ2TA3HOXH54PC3DCBFZS/
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.