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Threats / IBM / CVE-2022-47986
CVE-2022-47986 · EUVD no mirror located · GCVE no mirror located Verified 2026-06-22

IBM Aspera Faspex vulnerability

IBM Aspera Faspex contains a YAML deserialization vulnerability allowing remote code execution. The flaw has been exploited in the wild and leveraged in ransomware campaigns.

Verdict

Today item, not a backlog item.

A critical remote code execution vulnerability in IBM Aspera Faspex via unsafe YAML deserialization enables unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code. Active exploitation and ransomware deployment confirm severe real-world risk.

CISA KEV Yes · 2023-02-213Ransomware use Flagged3EPSS 0.99968 (verify live)4Exploit Weaponized · public PoC5
01

Is it exploitable?

— the evidence, ranked above the score
Exploit available
Fully weaponized — public exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
556 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-02-21), flagged for known ransomware use.
CISA KEV ↗Confirmed
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.99968 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: IBM, Aspera Faspex. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
NVD ↗Reported
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data — weakness family: Injection.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
NVD ↗Reported
02

Who’s exploiting it?

— attribution turns risk into urgency
Attribution not established

No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.

03

Why it matters

— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board
1

Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1

Attacker
I craft a malicious YAML payload and send it to the vulnerable Faspex endpoint to trigger deserialization.
Business
Attacker gains code execution on the Faspex server with application privileges.
2

Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2

Attacker
I establish persistence and move laterally within the network to identify high-value targets and sensitive data.
Business
Attacker expands foothold across infrastructure, accessing confidential files and systems.
3

Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3

Attacker
I deploy ransomware across compromised systems to encrypt critical business data and demand payment.
Business
Operations halt, data becomes inaccessible, and the organization faces extortion and potential data breach disclosure.
04

What to do

— defensible action
  • Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05

Coverage & confidence

— what we know, and what we don’t

Established (cited)

  • KEV listing (CISA)
  • Ransomware-use flag (CISA)
  • EPSS probability (FIRST)
  • Weaponized exploit available (VulnCheck)
  • 556 reported-exploitation source(s)
  • CWE weakness mapping (NVD)
  • Public exploit availability
  • Catalogued by ibm (CNA)
  • Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden

  • No EUVD / GCVE mirror in feed — single-authority dependency for the identifier.
  • EPSS & exposure are time-varying; verify live at the source.
  • Threat-actor attribution not established from feed data — absence of a name is not absence of compromise.
  • No finder/reporter credit recorded in the public CVE entry — the work behind this find is unattributed.
  • Disclosure & credit2
    Catalogued by ibmCNA
    Credited with finding itNo finder named in the public CVE record — the work behind this find is unattributed.