Local privilege escalation via attacker-controlled file path
Published Feb 14, 2023 · Updated Aug 19, 2026
External control of a file path in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, 2019, and 2022 allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies CWE-73 but has not published the affected file-handling locus or the incorrect operation performed on the attacker-controlled path. Exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and can grant higher privileges with confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Summary
What happened
External control of a file path in Microsoft Visual Studio 2017, 2019, and 2022 allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies CWE-73 but has not published the affected file-handling locus or the incorrect operation performed on the attacker-controlled path. Exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and can grant higher privileges with confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-21566
- Published
- Feb 14, 2023
- Updated
- Aug 19, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2019
- Classifications
- CWE-73, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 19, 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.
- Affected versionversion=16.11.0 <16.11.24
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
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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