SYSTEM privilege escalation via unquoted service path
Published Dec 19, 2025 · Updated Dec 19, 2025
Privilege escalation in ArcSoft PhotoStudio 6.0.0.172 and earlier allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM through a service path. The ADExchange service registers eservutil.exe under Program Files (x86) without quoting its space-containing ImagePath, so Windows can select an attacker-placed Common.exe first. Exploitation requires local file placement and a service restart or reboot; successful interception runs the substituted executable as LocalSystem.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in ArcSoft PhotoStudio 6.0.0.172 and earlier allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM through a service path. The ADExchange service registers eservutil.exe under Program Files (x86) without quoting its space-containing ImagePath, so Windows can select an attacker-placed Common.exe first. Exploitation requires local file placement and a service restart or reboot; successful interception runs the substituted executable as LocalSystem.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-53946
- Published
- Dec 19, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 19, 2025
- Vendor
- ArcSoft
- Product
- PhotoStudio
- Classifications
- CWE-428, T1574.009
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 19, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 19, 2025Record 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 <=6.0.0.172
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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
- Arcsoft PhotoStudio 6.0.0.172 Unquoted Service Pathfunctional · demonstrated
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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