CVE-2022-44318 is a medium-severity heap buffer overflow vulnerability identified in PicoC version 3.2.2, specifically within the StringStrcat function located in cstdlib/string.c. This function is invoked during the execution of ExpressionParseFunctionCall. The vulnerability arises when the function improperly manages memory while concatenating strings, leading to a heap buffer overflow condition (CWE-787). This type of vulnerability can cause the application to crash or behave unpredictably, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (DoS). The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level. The vector indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), and user interaction (UI:R). The impact affects availability only (A:H), with no confidentiality or integrity impact. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or vendor information are provided. The vulnerability is exploitable only when a user locally triggers the vulnerable function, which limits the attack surface. However, if exploited, it can disrupt service availability or potentially be leveraged for further attacks depending on the context of PicoC usage. PicoC is a small C interpreter often embedded in applications or used for scripting in embedded systems, which means the vulnerability's impact depends heavily on the deployment context and the security posture of the host environment.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-44318 is the potential disruption of services or embedded systems that utilize PicoC 3.2.2. Since PicoC is commonly used in embedded environments or as a lightweight scripting engine, organizations relying on embedded devices, industrial control systems, or custom applications incorporating PicoC could face availability issues if the vulnerability is exploited. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or integrity, denial of service conditions could interrupt critical operations, especially in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, or telecommunications where embedded systems are prevalent. The requirement for local access and user interaction reduces the risk of remote exploitation but does not eliminate insider threats or risks from compromised local accounts. European organizations with stringent uptime requirements or those operating critical infrastructure should be particularly cautious. Additionally, the lack of vendor patches or updates means organizations must rely on alternative mitigation strategies until official fixes are available.

Conduct an inventory to identify all systems and applications using PicoC version 3.2.2 or similar vulnerable versions, especially in embedded or industrial environments. Restrict local access to systems running PicoC to trusted users only, implementing strict access controls and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. Implement application whitelisting and behavior monitoring to detect anomalous use of the ExpressionParseFunctionCall function or unexpected crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts. Where possible, isolate devices running PicoC from general user environments to reduce the likelihood of user interaction triggering the vulnerability. Consider recompiling or patching the PicoC source code to fix the heap buffer overflow if internal development resources are available, given the absence of official patches. Enhance endpoint security controls to prevent execution of untrusted code and limit the impact of potential exploitation. Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from potential denial of service incidents caused by exploitation. Engage with vendors or open-source communities for updates or patches addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available.