CVE-2022-26488

Local privilege escalation via repair path injection

Published Mar 7, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Privilege escalation in affected Python releases on Windows allows local users to gain elevated privileges through installer repair. The Windows Installer repair path trusts an install-path variable that is not preserved during unelevated repair, causing user-writable directories to enter the system PATH. Escalation requires an all-users installation through 3.7.12, 3.8.12, 3.9.10, 3.10.2, or 3.11.0a6 with Add Python to PATH enabled; default per-user installations do not permit escalation.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability1.36%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in affected Python releases on Windows allows local users to gain elevated privileges through installer repair. The Windows Installer repair path trusts an install-path variable that is not preserved during unelevated repair, causing user-writable directories to enter the system PATH. Escalation requires an all-users installation through 3.7.12, 3.8.12, 3.9.10, 3.10.2, or 3.11.0a6 with Add Python to PATH enabled; default per-user installations do not permit escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-26488
Published
Mar 7, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-426, T1574.007
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 7, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.0NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.4NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-426Untrusted Search Path
T1574.007Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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