CVE-2023-1521Public exploit

Root code execution via inherited LD_PRELOAD

Published Nov 26, 2024 · Updated Nov 26, 2024

Privilege escalation in Mozilla sccache before 0.4.0 allows local users to execute code with a privileged local server's rights. The client copies LD_PRELOAD from its environment into a compile request, and the server launches the compiler with that untrusted value. A Linux host becomes root-compromisable when an unprivileged client can reach an sccache server running as root, as in the Snap package.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.36%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Mozilla sccache before 0.4.0 allows local users to execute code with a privileged local server's rights. The client copies LD_PRELOAD from its environment into a compile request, and the server launches the compiler with that untrusted value. A Linux host becomes root-compromisable when an unprivileged client can reach an sccache server running as root, as in the Snap package.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-1521
Published
Nov 26, 2024
Updated
Nov 26, 2024
Vendor
Mozilla
Product
sccache
Classifications
CWE-426, T1574.006
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 26, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 26, 2024Record 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 <0.4.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Mozilla · sccacheversion=0 <0.4.0

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.3GitHubCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P

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.

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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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-426Untrusted Search Path
T1574.006Dynamic Linker Hijacking

Public exploit references

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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