CVE-2022-24441 is a code injection vulnerability affecting the Snyk security scanning tool, specifically versions prior to 1.1064.0. Snyk is widely used by developers and organizations to analyze project dependencies and identify security issues. The vulnerability arises when Snyk analyzes a project containing malicious build files, such as build.gradle or gradle-wrapper.jar, which can include embedded commands. These commands are executed with the privileges of the Snyk application, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the host system. Exploitation requires an attacker to convince a user to scan a malicious project either by running the Snyk CLI directly or through an integrated development environment (IDE) plugin that invokes the Snyk CLI. The affected IDE plugins include VS Code (<=1.8.0), IntelliJ (<=2.4.47), Visual Studio (<=1.1.30), Eclipse (<=v20221115.132308), and the Language Server (<=v20221109.114426). For the vulnerability to be triggered via an IDE plugin, the project folder must be marked as 'trusted' within the IDE, which is a security feature designed to limit execution of code in untrusted directories. The vulnerability is independent of CVE-2022-40764 but upgrading to the fixed versions addresses both issues. No known exploits in the wild have been reported to date. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), indicating that the injection occurs due to insufficient sanitization of input commands embedded in project files. This flaw can lead to arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the Snyk process, which may be significant depending on the deployment context (e.g., developer machines, CI/CD pipelines).

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be considerable, especially for those heavily reliant on Snyk for security scanning within their software development lifecycle. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution on developer workstations or build servers, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of source code, intellectual property, and sensitive configuration data. It could also allow attackers to pivot within internal networks if the compromised machine has access to internal resources. Since exploitation requires social engineering to trick users into scanning malicious projects, organizations with less mature security awareness programs are at higher risk. The vulnerability could disrupt development workflows and introduce backdoors or malware into software supply chains, undermining trust in software integrity. Given the widespread use of IDEs like VS Code, IntelliJ, and Visual Studio in European software development environments, the vulnerability poses a risk to a broad range of sectors including finance, manufacturing, and government agencies. However, the requirement for the project folder to be marked as trusted and the need for user interaction somewhat limit the attack surface. Nonetheless, in environments where developers frequently scan third-party or open-source projects, the risk remains significant.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately upgrade all Snyk CLI tools and IDE plugins to the fixed versions (VS Code >=1.9.0, IntelliJ >=2.4.48, Visual Studio >=1.1.31, Eclipse and Language Server to versions released after the specified vulnerable builds). 2) Implement strict policies to restrict scanning of untrusted or unknown projects, especially those sourced from external contributors or unverified repositories. 3) Educate developers and DevOps teams about the risks of scanning untrusted projects and the importance of verifying project sources before analysis. 4) Leverage IDE trust features to ensure that only verified project folders are marked as trusted, thereby reducing the risk of automatic code execution. 5) Integrate runtime monitoring and endpoint detection solutions to identify anomalous command executions originating from Snyk processes. 6) For CI/CD pipelines using Snyk scanning, isolate build environments and apply the principle of least privilege to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. 7) Regularly audit and review installed plugins and their versions across development environments to ensure timely patching. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling the trust boundaries within development environments and emphasizing user awareness and operational controls.