CVE-2023-2331

Local privilege escalation via unquoted service path

Published Apr 27, 2023 · Updated Jan 30, 2025

Unquoted service path handling in 42Gears SureLock for Windows 2.3.12 through 2.40.0 allows local users to execute code with service privileges. The SureLock service leaves its executable path unquoted, causing service startup to resolve attacker-placed code before the intended binary. Exploitation requires local system access and placement of executable code in a path Windows probes when the service starts, leading to local privilege escalation.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Unquoted service path handling in 42Gears SureLock for Windows 2.3.12 through 2.40.0 allows local users to execute code with service privileges. The SureLock service leaves its executable path unquoted, causing service startup to resolve attacker-placed code before the intended binary. Exploitation requires local system access and placement of executable code in a path Windows probes when the service starts, leading to local privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2331
Published
Apr 27, 2023
Updated
Jan 30, 2025
Vendor
42Gears
Product
SureLock for Windows
Classifications
CWE-428, T1574.009
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.3.12 <=2.40.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

42Gears · SureLock for Windowsversion=2.3.12 <=2.40.0

Published CVSS scores

7.842Gears Mobility Systems Pvt LtdCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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 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-428Unquoted Search Path or Element
T1574.009Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Unquoted Path

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo