SYSTEM privilege escalation via unrestricted DSM plugin path
Published Mar 10, 2022 · Updated Apr 23, 2025
Local privilege escalation in UltraVNC Server 1.3.8.0 and earlier allows local users to execute code with SYSTEM privileges. The DSM plugin selector passes a user-supplied path to LoadPlugin without stripping directory components, so a service process loads an attacker-controlled DLL outside the installation directory. The server must run as a Windows service with elevated privileges, and the attacker needs a local authenticated account to supply the plugin path.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in UltraVNC Server 1.3.8.0 and earlier allows local users to execute code with SYSTEM privileges. The DSM plugin selector passes a user-supplied path to LoadPlugin without stripping directory components, so a service process loads an attacker-controlled DLL outside the installation directory. The server must run as a Windows service with elevated privileges, and the attacker needs a local authenticated account to supply the plugin path.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-24750
- Published
- Mar 10, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 23, 2025
- Vendor
- UltraVNC Team
- Product
- UltraVNC
- Classifications
- CWE-269, T1574.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 10, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 23, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 1.3.8.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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