TI-2022-16403 Aliases CVE-2022-35978

Lua sandbox escape from mod in Minetest

MEDIUM 48CWE-693Published 2022-08-15 · Updated 2025-04-23

Key facts

Attack vector: Network
Privileges required: None
User interaction: None
Attack complexity: Low
Impact type: Security bypass
Confidentiality · integrity · availability: High · High · High
Fix status: No fix listed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-693.

Summary

Minetest is a free open-source voxel game engine with easy modding and game creation. In **single player**, a mod can set a global setting that controls the Lua script loaded to display the main menu. The script is then loaded as soon as the game session is exited. The Lua environment the menu runs in is not sandboxed and can directly interfere with the user's system. There are currently no known workarounds.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV

EPSS 0.03082 87th percentileScored 2026-11-07

Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation: None
Automatable: No
Technical impact: Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

Vendor	Product	Affected versions	Fixed in	Status	Source
minetest	minetest	up to 5.5.1	—	No fix listed	CNA

minetest Vendorminetest Affected up to 5.5.1 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPE	Versions	Role	Vendor
cpe:2.3:a:minetest:minetest::::::::	before 5.6.0	Vulnerable	minetest

cpe:2.3:a:minetest:minetest:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 5.6.0 Vulnerable ·minetest

Remediation

No fixed version listed by the sources yet.

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Not affected: 1 product

Red Hat

Timeline

2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2022-35978

References

Patch 1

https://github.com/minetest/minetest/commit/da71e86633d0b27cd02d7aac9fdac625d141ca13

Advisory 2

TI-2022-08181 Minetest before 5.4.0 allows attackers to add or modify arbitrary meta fields of the same… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
TI-2026-29818 Luanti has a mod security sandbox escape CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.0
TI-2022-08182 In Minetest before 5.4.0, players can add or subtract items from a different player's inventory. CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences