---
title: "CVE-2022-4515\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2022-4515?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2022-4515

Publication date 20 December 2022

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**7.8 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2022-4515?format=md#impact-score)

Toggle side navigation

## Description

A flaw was found in Exuberant Ctags in the way it handles the "-o" option.
This option specifies the tag filename. A crafted tag filename specified in
the command line or in the configuration file results in arbitrary command
execution because the externalSortTags() in sort.c calls the system(3)
function in an unsafe way.

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| exuberant-ctags | 22.10 kinetic | Fixed 1:5.9~svn20110310-16ubuntu0.22.10.1 |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Fixed 1:5.9~svn20110310-16ubuntu0.22.04.1 |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Fixed 1:5.9~svn20110310-12ubuntu0.1 |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Fixed 1:5.9~svn20110310-11ubuntu0.1 |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 1:5.9~svn20110310-11ubuntu0.1~esm1  Ubuntu Pro |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Ignored end of standard support |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)

### Get expanded security coverage with Ubuntu Pro

Reduce your average CVE exposure time from 98 days to 1 day with expanded CVE patching, ten-years security maintenance and optional support for the full stack of open-source applications. Free for personal use.

[Get Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro)
[30-day free trial](https://ubuntu.com/pro/free-trial)

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

7.8 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Local |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | Required |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | High |
  | Integrity impact | High |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 7.8 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2022-4515)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-4515)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2022-4515)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2022-4515)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-5820-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-5820-1)
+ exuberant-ctags vulnerability
+ 24 January 2023

### Other references

* <https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2153519>
* <https://sourceforge.net/p/ctags/code/HEAD/tree/tags/ctags-5.8/sort.c#l56>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-4515>