CVE-2023-0213

SYSTEM privilege escalation via installer DLL hijacking

Published Mar 29, 2023 · Updated Feb 23, 2026

Uncontrolled DLL search in the M-Files Installer before 22.6 allows local users on Windows to execute code with SYSTEM privileges. The installer resolves a DLL from a search-path location writable by the logged-in user instead of restricting resolution to a trusted location; M-Files has not identified the DLL or path. An attacker must be authenticated and logged in locally on a Windows host with M-Files Desktop or Admin tools installed; the resulting access affects the host, not M-Files vault or server privileges.

CVSS severity8.8
High
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 the M-Files Installer before 22.6 allows local users on Windows to execute code with SYSTEM privileges. The installer resolves a DLL from a search-path location writable by the logged-in user instead of restricting resolution to a trusted location; M-Files has not identified the DLL or path. An attacker must be authenticated and logged in locally on a Windows host with M-Files Desktop or Admin tools installed; the resulting access affects the host, not M-Files vault or server privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0213
Published
Mar 29, 2023
Updated
Feb 23, 2026
Vendor
M-Files
Product
M-Files
Classifications
CWE-427, CAPEC-471, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 29, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 23, 2026Record 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=0 <22.6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

M-Files · M-Filesversion=0 <22.6

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.8M-Files CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
CAPEC-471Search Order Hijacking
T1574.001Hijack Execution Flow: DLL

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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