CVE-2023-41972

Local privilege escalation via revert password validation bypass

Published Mar 26, 2024 · Updated Oct 17, 2024

Privilege escalation in Zscaler Client Connector before 4.3.0.121 allows local users to bypass a revert-password check on Windows. The revert API fails to validate the supplied password type, allowing the check to fail open and protected features to be disabled in rare cases. Exploitation requires low local privileges and a feature governed by the revert password; success removes the configured control over that feature.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Zscaler Client Connector before 4.3.0.121 allows local users to bypass a revert-password check on Windows. The revert API fails to validate the supplied password type, allowing the check to fail open and protected features to be disabled in rare cases. Exploitation requires low local privileges and a feature governed by the revert password; success removes the configured control over that feature.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-41972
Published
Mar 26, 2024
Updated
Oct 17, 2024
Vendor
Zscaler
Product
Zscaler Client Connector
Classifications
CWE-280, CAPEC-233, T1548
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 26, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 17, 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 <4.3.0.121

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Zscaler · Zscaler Client Connectorversion=0 <4.3.0.121

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.3Zscaler, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

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-280Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges
CAPEC-233Privilege Escalation
T1548Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism

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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