How severe is CVE-2022-23511?

CVE-2022-23511 has a CVSS score of 7.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2022-23511?

CVE-2022-23511 affects the following packages: github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent (Go). Ecosystems affected: Go.

How do I fix CVE-2022-23511?

Update github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent to 1.247355.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-23511 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2022-23511 in my Go dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2022-23511 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Close the privilege gap rather than the entry point: audit which accounts, roles and service identities can reach the affected operation, drop the component to the least privilege it actually needs, and review file and directory permissions created by earlier installs — a default left in place is what makes this reachable.

Is CVE-2022-23511 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2022-23511 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2022-23511?

CVE-2022-23511 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.5%, placing it in the 45th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2022-23511?

CVE-2022-23511 is classified as CWE-274 (CWE-274). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2022-23511 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2022-23511 was published on December 12, 2022 and was last updated on October 28, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐹

🐹 Go

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2022-23511 — amazon-cloudwatch-agent

HIGHFix: aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent@6119858

CVE-2022-23511 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.1) CWE-274 vulnerability in github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent. A fix is available for github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Amazon CloudWatch Agent for Windows has Privilege Escalation Vector

Also known asGHSA-j8x2-2m5w-j939GO-2022-1160

Published

Dec 12, 2022

Updated

Oct 28, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 8, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2022-23511.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.5%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs45th percentile — riskier than 45% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

🐹github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Impact

A privilege escalation issue exists within the Amazon CloudWatch Agent for Windows in versions up to and including v1.247354. When users trigger a repair of the Agent, a pop-up window opens with SYSTEM permissions. Users with administrative access to affected hosts may use this to create a new command prompt as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.

To trigger this issue, the third party must be able to access the affected host and elevate their privileges such that they’re able to trigger the agent repair process. They must also be able to install the tools required to trigger the issue.

This issue does not affect the CloudWatch Agent for macOS or Linux.

Patches

Maintainers recommend that Agent users upgrade to the latest available version of the CloudWatch Agent to address this issue.

Workarounds

There is no recommended work around. Affected users must update the installed version of the CloudWatch Agent to address this issue.

References

https://github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent/commit/6119858864c317ff26f41f576c169148d1250837

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, contact AWS/Amazon Security via their vulnerability reporting page or directly via email to [email protected]. Please do not create a public GitHub issue.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐹Go	`github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent`	all versions	1.247355.0`go get github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent@v1.247355.0`

Affected Products

1 product · 1 configurations

Application

cloudwatch agentamazon

< 1.247355

range

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update github.com/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent to 1.247355.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-23511 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Close the privilege gap rather than the entry point: audit which accounts, roles and service identities can reach the affected operation, drop the component to the least privilege it actually needs, and review file and directory permissions created by earlier installs — a default left in place is what makes this reachable.

Frequently Asked Questions

### Impact A privilege escalation issue exists within the Amazon CloudWatch Agent for Windows in versions up to and including v1.247354. When users trigger a repair of the Agent, a pop-up window opens with SYSTEM permissions. Users with administrative access to affected hosts may use this to create a new command prompt as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. To trigger this issue, the third party must be able to access the affected host and elevate their privileges such that they’re able to trigger the agent repair process. They must also be able to install the tools required to trigger the issue. This i