CVE-2023-0975

Local privilege escalation via pre-execution executable replacement

Published Apr 3, 2023 · Updated Feb 11, 2025

Improper permission preservation in Trellix Agent for Windows 5.7.8 and earlier allows local users to elevate privileges during updates. During installation or upgrade, the workflow leaves a replacement window in which a local user can substitute an Agent executable before privileged execution. Successful exploitation requires local access and user interaction with an install or upgrade, after which the substituted code runs with elevated permissions.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper permission preservation in Trellix Agent for Windows 5.7.8 and earlier allows local users to elevate privileges during updates. During installation or upgrade, the workflow leaves a replacement window in which a local user can substitute an Agent executable before privileged execution. Successful exploitation requires local access and user interaction with an install or upgrade, after which the substituted code runs with elevated permissions.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0975
Published
Apr 3, 2023
Updated
Feb 11, 2025
Vendor
Trellix
Product
Trellix Agent
Classifications
CWE-281, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 3, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 11, 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=5.7.8 <=5.7.8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Trellix · Trellix Agentversion=5.7.8 <=5.7.8

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.2TrellixCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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-281Improper Preservation of Permissions
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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