CVE-2022-21688: Out-of-bounds Read in Onionshare
Summary
CVE-2022-21688: Out-of-bounds Read in Onionshare. Affects onionshare-cli versions < 2.5. Fixed in 2.5. How to fix ↓
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Background
Onionshare is an open-source desktop application that allows users to securely and anonymously share files over the Tor network. It provides a simple and user-friendly interface for creating and sharing Onion services. The vulnerability identified in Onionshare 2.4 is an out-of-bounds read issue that can lead to a denial of service attack. This vulnerability affects the desktop application when rendering images in the history tab.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in Onionshare 2.4 allows an adversary with knowledge of the Onion service address in public mode or with authentication in private mode to perform a denial of service attack. By sending a small number of bytes as a path parameter to any of the Onionshare functions, the attacker can trigger a memory consumption issue, leading to out-of-memory for the server. This vulnerability requires the desktop application with rendered history, requiring some user interaction. The issue has been disclosed to the QT security mailing list, and more details will be provided after a fixed QT build has been deployed.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 2.7.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "onionshare-cli==2.7.0"Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you need the minimum change
2.5
This is the first release that contains the fix.
pip install --upgrade "onionshare-cli==2.5"Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
The specific workaround for this vulnerability is not provided in the vulnerability details.
Conclusion
The vulnerability in Onionshare 2.4 poses a risk of denial of service attacks for users of the desktop application. It is important to stay updated with the latest releases and security advisories from the Onionshare project to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for onionshare-cli →
FAQ
The impact of this vulnerability is a denial of service attack that quickly results in out-of-memory for the server. However, the impact is only elevated as it requires the desktop application with rendered history.
Users of Onionshare 2.4 desktop application are affected by this vulnerability.
At the time of this report, an upstream fix from the Onionshare project is being monitored. It is recommended to stay updated with the latest releases and security advisories.
Yes, an adversary with knowledge of the Onion service address in public mode or with authentication in private mode can exploit this vulnerability remotely.
As a temporary mitigation, fixing OTF-001 (page 25) can help reduce the impact of this vulnerability. However, it is recommended to apply the official fix once it becomes available.
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for onionshare-cli.
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