CVE-2023-29343Public exploit

SYSTEM privilege escalation via archive directory links

Published May 9, 2023 · Updated Jul 10, 2025

Link following in Microsoft Sysmon before 14.16 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through crafted file-system links. Sysmon validates the archive directory's ownership and access controls, then writes or deletes files there without safely resolving attacker-controlled links, enabling an arbitrary protected-file write. The published proof of concept requires low-privileged local access and is limited to Sysmon 14.14 on Windows clients where RasMan tracing can create a suitably writable SYSTEM-owned directory.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability1.75%
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 Microsoft Sysmon before 14.16 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through crafted file-system links. Sysmon validates the archive directory's ownership and access controls, then writes or deletes files there without safely resolving attacker-controlled links, enabling an arbitrary protected-file write. The published proof of concept requires low-privileged local access and is limited to Sysmon 14.14 on Windows clients where RasMan tracing can create a suitably writable SYSTEM-owned directory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-29343
Published
May 9, 2023
Updated
Jul 10, 2025
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Sysmon
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 9, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jul 10, 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=1.0 <14.16

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Sysmonversion=1.0 <14.16

Published CVSS scores

7.8MicrosoftCVSS: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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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