CVE-2022-47111: CWE-754 Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions in 7-Zip 7-Zip
7-Zip 22.01 does not report an error for certain invalid xz files, involving block flags and reserved bits. Some later versions are unaffected.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2022-47111 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in 7-Zip version 22.01, specifically related to the handling of certain invalid xz archive files. The vulnerability arises from an improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions (CWE-754) within the 7-Zip decompression logic. In particular, 7-Zip 22.01 fails to report errors when processing xz files that contain invalid block flags and reserved bits. This improper validation can lead to the application accepting malformed or corrupted archive data without raising an error. While the vulnerability does not appear to be present in later versions of 7-Zip, it affects the widely used 22.01 release. The flaw is rooted in the failure to adequately verify the integrity and correctness of specific fields in the xz file format, which could potentially be exploited by an attacker to cause unexpected behavior during decompression. However, there are no known exploits in the wild at this time, and no direct evidence suggests that this vulnerability leads to remote code execution or privilege escalation. The vulnerability primarily impacts the integrity and reliability of the decompression process, possibly leading to application crashes or denial of service if malformed files are processed. Since 7-Zip is a popular open-source file archiver used across many environments, the vulnerability could affect any system using the affected version for decompressing xz archives. The lack of a patch link indicates that users should upgrade to later versions where this issue is resolved or apply vendor-provided mitigations once available.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-47111 is primarily related to potential disruptions in workflows that rely on 7-Zip 22.01 for handling xz compressed files. Given that 7-Zip is commonly used for file compression and decompression in both personal and enterprise environments, improper handling of malformed xz files could lead to denial of service scenarios, such as application crashes or failures in automated processing pipelines. This could affect data integrity and availability, especially in environments where large volumes of compressed data are processed regularly, such as software development, data archiving, and document management systems. Although no direct evidence of remote code execution or privilege escalation exists, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks to disrupt operations or as part of a multi-stage exploit chain. European organizations in sectors with high reliance on file archiving tools—such as finance, manufacturing, and government—may experience operational impacts if attackers craft malicious xz files to exploit this flaw. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the widespread use of 7-Zip and the critical nature of data processing in European enterprises necessitate proactive mitigation.
Mitigation Recommendations
1. Upgrade 7-Zip to the latest version beyond 22.01 where this vulnerability is fixed, as later versions are confirmed unaffected. 2. Implement strict file validation policies to reject or quarantine xz files from untrusted or unknown sources before decompression. 3. Employ sandboxing or isolated environments for decompressing files, minimizing the impact of potential crashes or unexpected behavior. 4. Monitor system and application logs for unusual errors or crashes related to 7-Zip decompression activities, enabling early detection of exploitation attempts. 5. Integrate file integrity verification mechanisms such as digital signatures or checksums for compressed files to ensure authenticity and prevent tampering. 6. Educate users and administrators about the risks of processing files from untrusted origins and encourage cautious handling of compressed archives. 7. Where possible, replace 7-Zip 22.01 with alternative decompression tools that have robust validation for xz files until an official patch is applied.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Austria
CVE-2022-47111: CWE-754 Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions in 7-Zip 7-Zip
Description
7-Zip 22.01 does not report an error for certain invalid xz files, involving block flags and reserved bits. Some later versions are unaffected.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2022-47111 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in 7-Zip version 22.01, specifically related to the handling of certain invalid xz archive files. The vulnerability arises from an improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions (CWE-754) within the 7-Zip decompression logic. In particular, 7-Zip 22.01 fails to report errors when processing xz files that contain invalid block flags and reserved bits. This improper validation can lead to the application accepting malformed or corrupted archive data without raising an error. While the vulnerability does not appear to be present in later versions of 7-Zip, it affects the widely used 22.01 release. The flaw is rooted in the failure to adequately verify the integrity and correctness of specific fields in the xz file format, which could potentially be exploited by an attacker to cause unexpected behavior during decompression. However, there are no known exploits in the wild at this time, and no direct evidence suggests that this vulnerability leads to remote code execution or privilege escalation. The vulnerability primarily impacts the integrity and reliability of the decompression process, possibly leading to application crashes or denial of service if malformed files are processed. Since 7-Zip is a popular open-source file archiver used across many environments, the vulnerability could affect any system using the affected version for decompressing xz archives. The lack of a patch link indicates that users should upgrade to later versions where this issue is resolved or apply vendor-provided mitigations once available.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-47111 is primarily related to potential disruptions in workflows that rely on 7-Zip 22.01 for handling xz compressed files. Given that 7-Zip is commonly used for file compression and decompression in both personal and enterprise environments, improper handling of malformed xz files could lead to denial of service scenarios, such as application crashes or failures in automated processing pipelines. This could affect data integrity and availability, especially in environments where large volumes of compressed data are processed regularly, such as software development, data archiving, and document management systems. Although no direct evidence of remote code execution or privilege escalation exists, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks to disrupt operations or as part of a multi-stage exploit chain. European organizations in sectors with high reliance on file archiving tools—such as finance, manufacturing, and government—may experience operational impacts if attackers craft malicious xz files to exploit this flaw. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the widespread use of 7-Zip and the critical nature of data processing in European enterprises necessitate proactive mitigation.
Mitigation Recommendations
1. Upgrade 7-Zip to the latest version beyond 22.01 where this vulnerability is fixed, as later versions are confirmed unaffected. 2. Implement strict file validation policies to reject or quarantine xz files from untrusted or unknown sources before decompression. 3. Employ sandboxing or isolated environments for decompressing files, minimizing the impact of potential crashes or unexpected behavior. 4. Monitor system and application logs for unusual errors or crashes related to 7-Zip decompression activities, enabling early detection of exploitation attempts. 5. Integrate file integrity verification mechanisms such as digital signatures or checksums for compressed files to ensure authenticity and prevent tampering. 6. Educate users and administrators about the risks of processing files from untrusted origins and encourage cautious handling of compressed archives. 7. Where possible, replace 7-Zip 22.01 with alternative decompression tools that have robust validation for xz files until an official patch is applied.
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- mitre
- Date Reserved
- 2022-12-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Cisa Enriched
- true
Threat ID: 682d984bc4522896dcbf7d0a
Added to database: 5/21/2025, 9:09:31 AM
Last enriched: 6/21/2025, 2:22:56 PM
Last updated: 8/8/2025, 1:18:49 PM
Views: 12
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