CVE-2023-38566

Local privilege escalation via uncontrolled search path

Published Feb 14, 2024 · Updated Aug 15, 2024

Uncontrolled search path handling in Intel ISPC before 1.21.0 allows local users to escalate privileges through local access. Intel has not published the affected executable, searched path, or untrusted path element that ISPC resolves. The attack requires low-privileged local access, high-complexity conditions, and user interaction; success grants elevated execution.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled search path handling in Intel ISPC before 1.21.0 allows local users to escalate privileges through local access. Intel has not published the affected executable, searched path, or untrusted path element that ISPC resolves. The attack requires low-privileged local access, high-complexity conditions, and user interaction; success grants elevated execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-38566
Published
Feb 14, 2024
Updated
Aug 15, 2024
Vendor
Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
Product
Intel Implicit SPMD Program Compiler (ISPC)
Classifications
CWE-427
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 14, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 15, 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <1.21.0
  2. Affected versionversion=before version 1.21.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. · Intel Implicit SPMD Program Compiler (ISPC)version=0 <1.21.0; version=before version 1.21.0

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7Intel CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element

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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