CVE-2023-44219

SYSTEM privilege escalation via MSI recovery feature

Published Oct 27, 2023 · Updated Sep 9, 2024

Local privilege escalation in SonicWall Directory Services Connector 4.1.21 and earlier allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. The vendor identifies the Windows Installer recovery feature as the trigger but has not disclosed the file, service, or permission error that permits elevation. Exploitation requires low-privileged access to the installed host and grants control at the Windows SYSTEM privilege level.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in SonicWall Directory Services Connector 4.1.21 and earlier allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. The vendor identifies the Windows Installer recovery feature as the trigger but has not disclosed the file, service, or permission error that permits elevation. Exploitation requires low-privileged access to the installed host and grants control at the Windows SYSTEM privilege level.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-44219
Published
Oct 27, 2023
Updated
Sep 9, 2024
Vendor
SonicWall
Product
Directory Services Connector
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 9, 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 <4.1.21
  2. Affected versionversion=4.1.21 and earlier versions

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

SonicWall · Directory Services Connectorversion=0 <4.1.21; version=4.1.21 and earlier versions

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-269Improper Privilege Management
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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