CVE-2023-0652

Local privilege escalation via forged installer hardlinks

Published Apr 6, 2023 · Updated Feb 10, 2025

Link-following in the Cloudflare WARP Windows MSI through 2022.5.309.0 allows local users to overwrite SYSTEM-protected files. During installation or repair, the installer creates a hardlink in ProgramData without preventing a local user from redirecting its destination to a protected file. Low-privileged local access and installer execution are required; successful exploitation writes files with installer privileges and enables privilege escalation.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.29%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link-following in the Cloudflare WARP Windows MSI through 2022.5.309.0 allows local users to overwrite SYSTEM-protected files. During installation or repair, the installer creates a hardlink in ProgramData without preventing a local user from redirecting its destination to a protected file. Low-privileged local access and installer execution are required; successful exploitation writes files with installer privileges and enables privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0652
Published
Apr 6, 2023
Updated
Feb 10, 2025
Vendor
Cloudflare
Product
Cloudflare WARP
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 6, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 10, 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=0 <=2022.5.309.0 changes=[{"at":"2023.3.381.0","status":"unaffected"}]

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Cloudflare · Cloudflare WARPversion=0 <=2022.5.309.0 changes=[{"at":"2023.3.381.0","status":"unaffected"}]

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0CloudflareCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/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 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-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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