Root code execution via Updater symlink move
Published May 3, 2024 · Updated Sep 18, 2024
Local privilege escalation in Parallels Desktop before 18.3.2 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as root through the Updater service. The service follows an attacker-created symbolic link while moving files, permitting a low-privileged process to redirect an arbitrary file move. Exploitation requires prior ability to run low-privileged code on the macOS host; the resulting file operation enables execution in the root context.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in Parallels Desktop before 18.3.2 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as root through the Updater service. The service follows an attacker-created symbolic link while moving files, permitting a low-privileged process to redirect an arbitrary file move. Exploitation requires prior ability to run low-privileged code on the macOS host; the resulting file operation enables execution in the root context.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-50226
- Published
- May 3, 2024
- Updated
- Sep 18, 2024
- Vendor
- Parallels
- Product
- Parallels Desktop
- Classifications
- CWE-59, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 3, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 18, 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.
- Affected versionversion=0 <18.3.2
- Affected versionversion=18.3.0 (53606)
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
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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