CVE-2023-28892

SYSTEM privilege escalation via symbolic-link log deletion

Published Mar 29, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Link following in Malwarebytes AdwCleaner 8.4.0 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through a crafted symbolic link. The elevated process deletes C:\AdwCleaner\Logs\AdwCleaner_Debug.log after resolving a user-controlled target without rejecting a symbolic link. A non-admin user must control the log target before debug-log deletion; exploitation redirects the privileged delete to an attacker-chosen file.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.49%
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 Malwarebytes AdwCleaner 8.4.0 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through a crafted symbolic link. The elevated process deletes C:\AdwCleaner\Logs\AdwCleaner_Debug.log after resolving a user-controlled target without rejecting a symbolic link. A non-admin user must control the log target before debug-log deletion; exploitation redirects the privileged delete to an attacker-chosen file.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-28892
Published
Mar 29, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-59
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 29, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS: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.

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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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

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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