CVE-2022-43282 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in wasm-interp version 1.0.29, specifically involving an out-of-bounds read error. The flaw occurs within the component OnReturnCallIndirectExpr->GetReturnCallDropKeepCount, which is part of the WebAssembly interpreter's internal handling of indirect return calls. An out-of-bounds read (CWE-125) means that the software reads memory outside the bounds of allocated buffers, which can lead to information disclosure or cause the application to crash. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1, indicating a high impact. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H) reveals that exploitation requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), but user interaction (UI:R) is necessary. The scope is unchanged (S:U), with high confidentiality impact (C:H), no integrity impact (I:N), and high availability impact (A:H). There are no known exploits in the wild, and no vendor or product information is specified, suggesting this vulnerability is tied to a specific WebAssembly interpreter implementation rather than a widely commercialized product. The absence of patch links indicates that fixes may not yet be publicly available or are distributed through project repositories. This vulnerability could be leveraged by a local attacker who can trick a user into interacting with a malicious WebAssembly module, potentially leading to sensitive data leakage and denial of service due to application crashes.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-43282 depends on the extent to which wasm-interp or similar WebAssembly interpreters are used within their software stacks. WebAssembly is increasingly used in web browsers, edge computing, and serverless environments, but this specific vulnerability affects a particular interpreter version rather than mainstream browsers. Organizations using wasm-interp 1.0.29 or derivatives in development, testing, or production environments could face confidentiality breaches if attackers exploit the out-of-bounds read to access sensitive memory. Additionally, the high availability impact means that critical services relying on this interpreter could experience crashes or denial of service, disrupting operations. Given the local attack vector and requirement for user interaction, the threat is more relevant in environments where users execute or interact with untrusted WebAssembly modules locally, such as developer workstations or specialized application environments. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. European sectors with high reliance on WebAssembly for application delivery, such as financial services, telecommunications, and technology firms, could be particularly vulnerable if they incorporate this interpreter in their toolchains or runtime environments.

To mitigate CVE-2022-43282, European organizations should first identify any usage of wasm-interp version 1.0.29 or related WebAssembly interpreters in their environments. Since no official patch links are provided, organizations should monitor the upstream project repositories for security updates or patches addressing this vulnerability. In the interim, restrict local user access to environments running the vulnerable interpreter to trusted personnel only, and enforce strict controls on the execution of untrusted WebAssembly modules. Implement application whitelisting and sandboxing to limit the impact of potential exploitation. Additionally, educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted WebAssembly content to reduce the likelihood of user interaction-based exploitation. For development teams, consider migrating to alternative WebAssembly interpreters or updated versions that have addressed this vulnerability. Regularly audit and monitor systems for unusual crashes or memory access anomalies that could indicate exploitation attempts. Finally, integrate this vulnerability into vulnerability management and incident response processes to ensure timely detection and remediation.