CVE-2022-39197

MEDIUM KEV

HelpSystems Cobalt Strike <= 4.7 - Cross-Site Scripting via Payload Username Field

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

CVE-2022-39197 is actively exploited and listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added March 30, 2023. EIP tracks 16 public exploits from researchers including its-arun, burpheart, xzajyjs.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2022-39197, leveraging SVG file manipulation and Frida-based process injection to achieve remote code execution. The exploit uses a malicious JAR file embedded in an SVG to trigger payload execution when the target process (e.g., beacon.exe) is enumerated.

Description

An XSS (Cross Site Scripting) vulnerability was found in HelpSystems Cobalt Strike through 4.7 that allowed a remote attacker to execute HTML on the Cobalt Strike teamserver. To exploit the vulnerability, one must first inspect a Cobalt Strike payload, and then modify the username field in the payload (or create a new payload with the extracted information and then modify that username field to be malformed).

Exploits (16)

nomisec WORKING POC 387 stars
by its-arun · local
https://github.com/its-arun/CVE-2022-39197

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2022-39197, leveraging SVG file manipulation and Frida-based process injection to achieve remote code execution. The exploit uses a malicious JAR file embedded in an SVG to trigger payload execution when the target process (e.g., beacon.exe) is enumerated.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Apache Batik (affected versions)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target process must enumerate processes (e.g., via Process32Next) · Attacker must serve malicious SVG/JAR over HTTP
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 320 stars
by burpheart · poc
https://github.com/burpheart/CVE-2022-39197-patch

This repository provides a functional Java agent-based patch for CVE-2022-39197, a Cobalt Strike XSS vulnerability. It hooks the `isHTMLString` method in `javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicHTML` to disable HTML rendering, mitigating the XSS risk.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Xss
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cobalt Strike (version not specified)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to Cobalt Strike installation directory · Ability to modify Java startup parameters
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 74 stars
by burpheart · client-side
https://github.com/burpheart/cve-2022-39197

This PoC exploits CVE-2022-39197 by crafting a malicious packet with a Cobalt Strike beacon-like structure, encrypting it with RSA, and sending it to a target server via a cookie header. The payload includes an HTML image tag to trigger remote image loading, demonstrating the vulnerability.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Unknown (likely a web server or application vulnerable to CVE-2022-39197)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target server URL · RSA public key for encryption · Network access to the target
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 47 stars
by xzajyjs · remote
https://github.com/xzajyjs/CVE-2022-39197-POC

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2022-39197, an XSS vulnerability in Cobalt Strike teamserver versions <=4.7 that can lead to RCE. The exploit crafts a malicious Beacon configuration with an XSS payload to trigger remote code execution via a malformed username.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cobalt Strike teamserver <=4.7
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a vulnerable Cobalt Strike teamserver · A Beacon executable or URL
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SUSPICIOUS 38 stars
by xiao-zhu-zhu · poc
https://github.com/xiao-zhu-zhu/pig_CS4.4

The repository claims to include a modified version of Cobalt Strike 4.4 with patches for CVE-2022-39197 but provides no actual exploit code or technical details. It focuses on marketing features like 'free kill' and 'authentication changes' without demonstrating the vulnerability.

Classification
Suspicious 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Theoretical
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Cobalt Strike 4.4
No auth needed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec SUSPICIOUS 18 stars
by lovechoudoufu · poc
https://github.com/lovechoudoufu/about_cobaltstrike4.5_cdf

The repository claims to address CVE-2022-39197 but provides no technical details or exploit code, instead referencing a DMCA-taken-down project and listing file hashes. It appears to be a lure for cracked software rather than a legitimate PoC.

Classification
Suspicious 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Theoretical
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Cobalt Strike 4.5
No auth needed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 17 stars
by yqcs · remote
https://github.com/yqcs/CSPOC

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2022-39197, a stored XSS vulnerability in Cobalt Strike that can lead to RCE. The PoC crafts a malicious payload, encrypts it using RSA, and sends it via a crafted HTTP request to exploit the vulnerability.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Xss
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cobalt Strike
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to the Cobalt Strike server's HTTP listener
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 13 stars
by TheCryingGame · remote
https://github.com/TheCryingGame/CVE-2022-39197-RCE

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2022-39197, leveraging Frida to inject a malicious SVG payload into a process named 'beacon.exe', triggering remote code execution via Apache Batik's JSVGCanvas. The exploit includes a Java-based payload (Exploit.java) that executes arbitrary commands based on the target OS.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Apache Batik (versions affected by CVE-2022-39197)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target process named 'beacon.exe' must be running · Victim must access a malicious SVG file via a crafted URL
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 7 stars
by 4nth0ny1130 · poc
https://github.com/4nth0ny1130/CVE-2022-39197-fix_patch

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept for mitigating CVE-2022-39197, an XSS vulnerability in Cobalt Strike's use of javax.swing.JLabel. The PoC uses ByteBuddy to inject an interceptor that disables HTML rendering in JLabel components, preventing XSS exploitation.

Classification
Working Poc 90%
Attack Type
Xss
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cobalt Strike (versions affected by CVE-2022-39197)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a Cobalt Strike instance vulnerable to CVE-2022-39197
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 7 stars
by hluwa · poc
https://github.com/hluwa/cobaltstrike_swing_xss2rce

This PoC demonstrates a Java Swing XSS-to-RCE vulnerability (CVE-2022-39197) by embedding malicious SVG content in a Swing application. The SVGHandler class executes arbitrary commands (e.g., 'calc') when an SVGLoad event is triggered, while demo.java loads and renders the malicious payload.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Java Swing applications (Cobalt Strike's Swing-based UI)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Victim must open a malicious SVG file in a vulnerable Swing application
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec STUB 3 stars
by safe3s · poc
https://github.com/safe3s/CVE-2022-39197

The repository contains minimal content with a placeholder README and an empty or redacted Python script. No functional exploit code or technical details are provided.

Classification
Stub 90%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Unknown
No auth needed
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by Romanc9 · poc
https://github.com/Romanc9/Gui-poc-test

This repository contains a GUI-based tool for testing and exploiting CVE-2023-21839 (WebLogic RCE), CVE-2022-39197 (CobaltStrike RCE), and CVE-2023-28432 (MinIO info leak). It includes functional PoC code for WebLogic RCE via JNDI injection and CobaltStrike RCE via Frida-based process manipulation.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Oracle WebLogic Server, CobaltStrike, MinIO
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Java 8 for WebLogic exploit · Python 3 and Frida for CobaltStrike exploit · LDAP server for WebLogic RCE · Accessible SVG file and JAR payload for CobaltStrike RCE
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WORKING POC 2 stars
by adeljck · client-side
https://github.com/adeljck/CVE-2022-39197

This repository contains a functional exploit for CVE-2022-39197, leveraging SVG file processing in Apache Batik to achieve remote code execution. The exploit includes a Java-based payload (Exploit.java) and a Frida-based injection script (cve-2022-39197.py) to trigger the vulnerability.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Apache Batik (versions affected by CVE-2022-39197)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Target system must process malicious SVG files · Java runtime environment
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP 1 stars
by purple-WL · poc
https://github.com/purple-WL/Cobaltstrike-RCE-CVE-2022-39197

This repository provides a technical summary of CVE-2022-39197, an XSS vulnerability in Cobalt Strike's Beacon software that can lead to RCE on the CS server. It includes references, screenshots, and external links but lacks functional exploit code.

Classification
Writeup 80%
Attack Type
Xss
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Theoretical
Target: Cobalt Strike Beacon
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Cobalt Strike Beacon with vulnerable configuration · Attacker-controlled input for username field
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
nomisec WRITEUP
by zeoday · poc
https://github.com/zeoday/cobaltstrike4.5_cdf-1

This repository provides a detailed technical analysis of Cobalt Strike 4.5's licensing mechanism, including reverse engineering of the authentication process, key extraction, and methods to bypass license checks. It also covers techniques to remove checksum8 and BeaconEye detection features.

Classification
Writeup 95%
Attack Type
Auth Bypass
Complexity
Complex
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cobalt Strike 4.5
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to Cobalt Strike 4.5 JAR files · Basic reverse engineering skills
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 19, 2026 Full analysis →
vulncheck_xdb WORKING POC
client-side
https://github.com/burpheart/CS_mock

This repository contains a functional Python script that simulates a Cobalt Strike beacon connection packet, including metadata structure and RSA encryption, to mimic a beacon checking in with a C2 server. It demonstrates the protocol and encryption used by CVE-2022-39197.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Other
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: Cobalt Strike
No auth needed
Prerequisites: RSA public key from Cobalt Strike payload · C2 server metadata post URL
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 25, 2026 Full analysis →

References (3)

Core 3
Core References
Release Notes, Vendor Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://www.cobaltstrike.com/blog/tag/release/

Scores

CVSS v3 6.1
EPSS 0.1964
EPSS Percentile 95.6%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation active
Automatable no
Technical Impact partial

Details

CISA KEV 2023-03-30
VulnCheck KEV 2023-01-17
InTheWild.io 2023-03-30
ENISA EUVD EUVD-2022-41742
CWE
CWE-79
Status published
Products (1)
helpsystems/cobalt_strike < 4.7.1
Published Sep 22, 2022
KEV Added Mar 30, 2023
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026