Root privilege escalation via unnecessary permissions
Published Dec 21, 2022 · Updated Apr 15, 2025
Local privilege escalation in Proofpoint Enterprise Protection 8.19.0 and earlier allows local users with pps access to gain root. Proofpoint has not disclosed the affected file, command, or permission; its advisory attributes the escalation only to unnecessary permissions. An attacker must already control the low-privileged pps account, after which root access grants full appliance control.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in Proofpoint Enterprise Protection 8.19.0 and earlier allows local users with pps access to gain root. Proofpoint has not disclosed the affected file, command, or permission; its advisory attributes the escalation only to unnecessary permissions. An attacker must already control the low-privileged pps account, after which root access grants full appliance control.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-46334
- Published
- Dec 21, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 15, 2025
- Vendor
- Proofpoint
- Product
- Proofpoint Enterprise Protection
- Classifications
- CWE-269, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 21, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 15, 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=8.* <=8.19.0 changes=[{"at":"8.19.0 patch 4550","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"8.18.6 patch 4549","status":"unaffected"},{"at":"8.13.22 patch 4548","status":"unaffected"}]
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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