CVE-2022-3859

SYSTEM privilege escalation via malicious DLL placement

Published Nov 30, 2022 · Updated Apr 23, 2025

Uncontrolled DLL search in Trellix Agent 5.x through 5.7.8 allows local users with administrator access to gain SYSTEM privileges. The agent loads an attacker-planted DLL from the restricted Windows System folder because its DLL lookup uses an uncontrolled search path. Administrator rights are required to place the file; successful exploitation executes attacker-controlled code as SYSTEM with full host control.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled DLL search in Trellix Agent 5.x through 5.7.8 allows local users with administrator access to gain SYSTEM privileges. The agent loads an attacker-planted DLL from the restricted Windows System folder because its DLL lookup uses an uncontrolled search path. Administrator rights are required to place the file; successful exploitation executes attacker-controlled code as SYSTEM with full host control.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-3859
Published
Nov 30, 2022
Updated
Apr 23, 2025
Vendor
Trellix
Product
Trellix Agent
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 30, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.x <=5.7.8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Trellix · Trellix Agentversion=5.x <=5.7.8

Published CVSS scores

6.7NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7TrellixCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574.001DLL Search Order Hijacking

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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