CVE-2023-5834

Local privilege escalation via installer directory junction

Published Oct 27, 2023 · Updated Sep 9, 2024

Insecure junction handling in HashiCorp Vagrant's Windows installer before 2.4.0 allows local users to write files without authorization. When a custom installation location uses an unprotected path, the installer follows an attacker-created directory junction and writes installation files to the junction target. A local low-privileged user must prepare the junction before installation; resulting writes are system-dependent and can enable privilege escalation.

CVSS severity3.8
Low
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insecure junction handling in HashiCorp Vagrant's Windows installer before 2.4.0 allows local users to write files without authorization. When a custom installation location uses an unprotected path, the installer follows an attacker-created directory junction and writes installation files to the junction target. A local low-privileged user must prepare the junction before installation; resulting writes are system-dependent and can enable privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-5834
Published
Oct 27, 2023
Updated
Sep 9, 2024
Vendor
HashiCorp
Product
Vagrant
Classifications
CWE-59, CWE-1386, 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=* <2.4.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

HashiCorp · Vagrantversion=* <2.4.0

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.8HashiCorp Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N

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-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
CWE-1386Insecure Operation on Windows Junction / Mount Point
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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