SYSTEM privilege escalation via manifest path traversal
Published Aug 8, 2023 · Updated Aug 10, 2026
Relative path traversal in Microsoft Windows allows local users to execute code with SYSTEM privileges through the File History Service. The privileged service impersonates the logged-on user while loading fhcfg.dll, letting a per-user DOS-device link redirect manifest resolution and a crafted relative path supply a malicious msasn1.dll. An ordinary local account can start the enabled-by-default service; successful exploitation runs attacker-controlled code as SYSTEM after the service exits.
Summary
What happened
Relative path traversal in Microsoft Windows allows local users to execute code with SYSTEM privileges through the File History Service. The privileged service impersonates the logged-on user while loading fhcfg.dll, letting a per-user DOS-device link redirect manifest resolution and a crafted relative path supply a malicious msasn1.dll. An ordinary local account can start the enabled-by-default service; successful exploitation runs attacker-controlled code as SYSTEM after the service exits.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-35359
- Published
- Aug 8, 2023
- Updated
- Aug 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 10 Version 1507
- Classifications
- CWE-23, T1574.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 8, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 10, 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=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.20107
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
- SSD File History Service proof of conceptfunctional · demonstrated
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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