CVE-2023-7261

Local privilege escalation via DOS device redirection

Published Jun 7, 2024 · Updated Mar 14, 2025

Privilege escalation in Google Omaha before 1.3.36.351 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM via a malicious file. The update mechanism follows an attacker-created DOS device redirection and launches an executable from an untrusted location. Low-privileged code execution on Windows is required; successful exploitation grants full SYSTEM-context execution.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Google Omaha before 1.3.36.351 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM via a malicious file. The update mechanism follows an attacker-created DOS device redirection and launches an executable from an untrusted location. Low-privileged code execution on Windows is required; successful exploitation grants full SYSTEM-context execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-7261
Published
Jun 7, 2024
Updated
Mar 14, 2025
Vendor
Google
Product
Omaha
Classifications
CWE-233, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 7, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 14, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <1.3.36.351
  2. Affected versionversion=1.3.36.271 <1.3.36.271

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Google · Omahaversion=0 <1.3.36.351; version=1.3.36.271 <1.3.36.271

Published CVSS scores

7.8Zero Day InitiativeCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.3CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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.

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-233Improper Handling of Parameters
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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