SYSTEM privilege escalation via flawed repair property
Published Mar 9, 2022 · Updated Jul 8, 2025
Improper privilege management in Microsoft Windows Installer allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through MSI repair mode. The framework fails to set the Privileged property correctly from LaunchConditions during repair, allowing user-triggered temporary-file execution under the Windows Installer service's SYSTEM context. Any authenticated local user who can launch a repair through the API or msiexec can execute code with complete local control.
Summary
What happened
Improper privilege management in Microsoft Windows Installer allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through MSI repair mode. The framework fails to set the Privileged property correctly from LaunchConditions during repair, allowing user-triggered temporary-file execution under the Windows Installer service's SYSTEM context. Any authenticated local user who can launch a repair through the API or msiexec can execute code with complete local control.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-23296
- Published
- Mar 9, 2022
- Updated
- Jul 8, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 10 Version 1507
- Classifications
- CWE-269, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 9, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 8, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.19235
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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