Local privilege escalation via uncontrolled search path
Published Jan 3, 2024 · Updated Jun 3, 2025
Uncontrolled search path flaws in Lenovo Universal Device Client before 23.10 allow local users to execute code with elevated privileges. Lenovo has not disclosed which executable or library lookup uses an attacker-controlled directory, only that an incomplete earlier fix left the search path uncontrolled. Local low-privileged access is required, and successful exploitation runs attacker-supplied code with the service's elevated privileges.
Summary
What happened
Uncontrolled search path flaws in Lenovo Universal Device Client before 23.10 allow local users to execute code with elevated privileges. Lenovo has not disclosed which executable or library lookup uses an attacker-controlled directory, only that an incomplete earlier fix left the search path uncontrolled. Local low-privileged access is required, and successful exploitation runs attacker-supplied code with the service's elevated privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-6338
- Published
- Jan 3, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Lenovo
- Product
- Universal Device Client
- Classifications
- CWE-427, T1574
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 3, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 3, 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 version<23.10
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.
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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