CVE-2022-34689: Windows CryptoAPI Spoofing Vulnerability

CVE-2022-34689 is a spoofing vulnerability in Windows CryptoAPI, rated Critical by Microsoft, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (High). An attacker can exploit it remotely over the network, without any privileges and without user interaction. Microsoft has not reported exploitation in the wild and rates exploitation as more likely. The EPSS model estimates a 38.14% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of all scored vulnerabilities. Microsoft released the fix on 11 October 2022 in the October 2022 Patch Tuesday, delivered through 14 security updates (KB5016623, KB5016616, KB5016627, KB5016629 and more). It affects 38 products in 2 product families (Windows, ESU).

Key facts

CVE ID: CVE-2022-34689
Severity: High CVSS 7.5
Microsoft severity: Critical
Impact: Spoofing
Exploited in the wild: No
Publicly disclosed: No
Exploitation likelihood: More Likely
Weakness: CWE-290
EPSS: 38.14% (percentile 99%)
CISA KEV: Not listed
Released: 11 October 2022
Last updated: 11 October 2022
Patch Tuesday: October 2022 Patch Tuesday
Product families: Windows, ESU

CVSS score and vector

Microsoft scores CVE-2022-34689 at 7.5 (temporal 6.5) using CVSS 3.1. Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Metric	Value
Attack vector	Network
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges required	None
User interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality impact	None
Integrity impact	High
Availability impact	None
Exploit code maturity	Unproven
Remediation level	Official fix
Report confidence	Confirmed

Frequently asked questions (Microsoft)

What is the nature of the spoofing?

An attacker could manipulate an existing public x.509 certificate to spoof their identity and perform actions such as authentication or code signing as the targeted certificate.

Affected products (38)

Windows

Product	Security update	Type	Fixed build	Restart
Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems	KB5016623	Security Update	10.0.17763.3287	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems	KB5016623	Security Update	10.0.17763.3287	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems	KB5016623	Security Update	10.0.17763.3287	Yes
Windows Server 2019	KB5016623	Security Update	10.0.17763.3287	Yes
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)	KB5016623	Security Update	10.0.17763.3287	Yes
Windows 10 Version 21H1 for x64-based Systems	KB5016616	Security Update	10.0.19043.1889	Yes
Windows 10 Version 21H1 for ARM64-based Systems	KB5016616	Security Update	10.0.19043.1889	Yes
Windows 10 Version 21H1 for 32-bit Systems	KB5016616	Security Update	10.0.19043.1889	Yes
Windows Server 2022	KB5016627	Security Update	10.0.20348.887	Yes
Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation)	KB5016627	Security Update	10.0.20348.887	Yes
Windows 10 Version 20H2 for 32-bit Systems
Windows 10 Version 20H2 for ARM64-based Systems
Windows 11 version 21H2 for x64-based Systems	KB5016629	Security Update	10.0.22000.856	Yes
Windows 11 version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems	KB5016629	Security Update	10.0.22000.856	Yes
Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems
Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems
Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems
Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems	KB5016639	Security Update	10.0.10240.19387	Yes
Windows 10 for x64-based Systems	KB5016639	Security Update	10.0.10240.19387	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems	KB5016622	Security Update	10.0.14393.5291	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems	KB5016622	Security Update	10.0.14393.5291	Yes
Windows Server 2016	KB5016622	Security Update	10.0.14393.5291	Yes
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)	KB5016622	Security Update	10.0.14393.5291	Yes
Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems	KB5016681 KB5016683	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.3.9600.20520 6.3.9600.20520	Yes Yes
Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems	KB5016681 KB5016683	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.3.9600.20520 6.3.9600.20520	Yes Yes
Windows RT 8.1	KB5016681	Monthly Rollup	6.3.9600.20520	Yes

ESU

Product	Security update	Type	Fixed build	Restart
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1	KB5016622 KB5016679	Security Update Security Only	10.0.14393.5291 6.1.7601.26065	Yes Yes
Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	KB5016679 KB5016676	Security Only Monthly Rollup	6.1.7601.26065 6.1.7601.26065	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2	KB5016669 KB5016686	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.0.6003.21616 6.0.6003.21616	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)	KB5016669 KB5016686	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.0.6003.21616 6.0.6003.21616	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2	KB5016669 KB5016686	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.0.6003.21616 6.0.6003.21616	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)	KB5016669 KB5016686	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.0.6003.21616 6.0.6003.21616	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1	KB5016679 KB5016676	Security Only Monthly Rollup	6.1.7601.26065 6.1.7601.26065	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)	KB5016679 KB5016676	Security Only Monthly Rollup	6.1.7601.26065 6.1.7601.26065	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2012	KB5016672 KB5016684	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.2.9200.23817 6.2.9200.23817	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)	KB5016672 KB5016684	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.2.9200.23817 6.2.9200.23817	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2012 R2	KB5016681 KB5016683	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.3.9600.20520 6.3.9600.20520	Yes Yes
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)	KB5016681 KB5016683	Monthly Rollup Security Only	6.3.9600.20520 6.3.9600.20520	Yes Yes

Security updates (14)

KB5016623 (Security Update)
KB5016616 (Security Update)
KB5016627 (Security Update)
KB5016629 (Security Update)
KB5016639 (Security Update)
KB5016622 (Security Update)
KB5016679 (Security Only)
KB5016676 (Monthly Rollup)
KB5016681 (Monthly Rollup)
KB5016683 (Security Only)
KB5016669 (Monthly Rollup)
KB5016686 (Security Only)
KB5016672 (Monthly Rollup)
KB5016684 (Security Only)

NIST NVD data

NVD status: Modified
NVD CVSS: 7.5 (HIGH)
NVD weakness: CWE-290
Published to NVD: 11 October 2022
NVD last modified: 17 June 2026

Affected configurations (CPE)

Product	Vulnerable versions
windows 10 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 10 (x86)	all listed versions
windows 10 20h2 (arm64)	all listed versions
windows 10 20h2 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 10 20h2 (x86)	all listed versions
windows 10 21h1 (arm64)	all listed versions
windows 10 21h1 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 10 21h1 (x86)	all listed versions
windows 10 21h2 (arm64)	all listed versions
windows 10 21h2 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 10 21h2 (x86)	all listed versions
windows 10 1607 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 10 1607 (x86)	all listed versions
windows 10 1809 (arm64)	all listed versions
windows 10 1809 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 10 1809 (x86)	all listed versions
windows 11 (arm64)	all listed versions
windows 11 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 7 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 7 (x86)	all listed versions
windows 8.1 (x64)	all listed versions
windows 8.1 (x86)	all listed versions
windows rt 8.1	all listed versions
windows server 2008 (x64)	all listed versions
windows server 2008 (x86)	all listed versions
windows server 2008 r2 (x64)	all listed versions
windows server 2012	all listed versions
windows server 2012 r2	all listed versions
windows server 2016	all listed versions
windows server 2019	all listed versions
windows server 2022	all listed versions

References

Acknowledgments

UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the National Security Agency (NSA)

Revision history

Version	Date	Description
1.0	11 October 2022	Information published. This CVE was addressed by updates that were released in August 2022, but the CVE was omitted from the August 2022 Security Updates. This is an informational change only. Customers who have already installed the August 2022 update do not need to take any further action.