CVE-2022-41853
CRITICALCVE-2022-41853 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) CWE-470 vulnerability in org.hsqldb:hsqldb. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2022-41853 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
HyperSQL DataBase vulnerable to remote code execution when processing untrusted input
Real-World Exposure
org.hsqldb:hsqldbReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Those using java.sql.Statement or java.sql.PreparedStatement in hsqldb (HyperSQL DataBase) to process untrusted input may be vulnerable to a remote code execution attack. By default it is allowed to call any static method of any Java class in the classpath resulting in code execution. The issue can be prevented by updating to 2.7.1 or by setting the system property "hsqldb.method_class_names" to classes which are allowed to be called. For example, System.setProperty("hsqldb.method_class_names", "abc") or Java argument -Dhsqldb.method_class_names="abc" can be used. From version 2.7.1 all classes by default are not accessible except those in java.lang.Math and need to be manually enabled.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.hsqldb:hsqldb | all versions | 2.7.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.hsqldb:hsqldb. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.hsqldb:hsqldb to 2.7.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-41853 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2022-41853 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2022-41853. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-41853 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2022-41853 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.