CVE-2023-50446

SYSTEM privilege escalation via writable ProgramData directories

Published Dec 10, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Local privilege escalation in Mullvad VPN for Windows before 2023.6-beta1 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The Windows installer and path helpers created Mullvad directories, including the ProgramData log directory, without administrator-only access controls. Local access to an affected Windows host is required, and successful exploitation grants SYSTEM-level control.

CVSS severity7.8
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

Local privilege escalation in Mullvad VPN for Windows before 2023.6-beta1 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The Windows installer and path helpers created Mullvad directories, including the ProgramData log directory, without administrator-only access controls. Local access to an affected Windows host is required, and successful exploitation grants SYSTEM-level control.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-50446
Published
Dec 10, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-732, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 10, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

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-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
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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