# CVE-2022-42920: libbcel-java: Apache Commons BCEL has a number of APIs that would normally only allow changing specific class characteristics

CVE-2022-42920 is fixed in 3 products on 1 platform, first by libbcel-java 6.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm1, released November 7, 2022. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2022-42920
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 9.8 (Medium)
- EPSS: 0.0350
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Nov 7, 2022

## Description

Apache Commons BCEL has a number of APIs that would normally only allow changing specific class characteristics. However, due to an out-of-bounds writing issue, these APIs can be used to produce arbitrary bytecode. This could be abused in applications that pass attacker-controllable data to those APIs, giving the attacker more control over the resulting bytecode than otherwise expected. Update to Apache Commons BCEL 6.6.0.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | bcel Debian 12.15 (bookworm) | 6.5.0-2 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2022-42920](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2022-42920.md) | Nov 7, 2022 |
| Linux | bcel Debian 13.5 (trixie) | 6.5.0-2 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2022-42920](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2022-42920.md) | Nov 7, 2022 |
| Linux | bcel Debian 14 | 6.5.0-2 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2022-42920](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2022-42920.md) | Nov 7, 2022 |
| Linux | bcel RHEL 9 | 0:6.4.1-9.el9_1 | [RHSA-2023:0005](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/rhsa-2023-0005.md) | Jan 2, 2023 |
| Linux | bcel almalinux 9 | 6.4.1-9.el9_1 | [ALSA-2023:0005](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alsa-2023-0005.md) | Jan 2, 2023 |
| Linux | bcel amzn 2023 | 6.5.0-3.amzn2023.0.2 | [ALAS2023-2023-105](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-105.md) | Feb 17, 2023 |
| Linux | bcel ol 9 | 0:6.4.1-9.el9_1 | [ELSA-2023-0005](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2023-0005.md) | Jan 3, 2023 |
| Linux | bcel rocky 9 | 0:6.4.1-9.el9_1 | [RLSA-2023:0005](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/rlsa-2023-0005.md) | Jan 2, 2023 |
| Linux | bcel-javadoc amzn 2023 | 6.5.0-3.amzn2023.0.2 | [ALAS2023-2023-105](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/alas2023-2023-105.md) | Feb 17, 2023 |
| Linux | libbcel-java Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS (bionic) | 6.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 | [libbcel-java 6.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-bionic-libbcel-java-6.2-1ubuntu0.1-esm1.md) | Nov 7, 2022 |
| Linux | libbcel-java Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (focal) | 6.4.1-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 | [libbcel-java 6.4.1-1ubuntu0.1~esm1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-focal-libbcel-java-6.4.1-1ubuntu0.1-esm1.md) | Nov 7, 2022 |
| Linux | libbcel-java Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (jammy) | 6.5.0-1ubuntu0.1 | [libbcel-java 6.5.0-1ubuntu0.1](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/ubuntu-jammy-libbcel-java-6.5.0-1ubuntu0.1.md) | Nov 7, 2022 |

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Data as of 2026-11-08T06:59:42Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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