CVE-2024-13944

SYSTEM code execution via symlink TOCTTOU

Published May 9, 2025 · Updated Oct 13, 2025

Link following in Norton Utilities Ultimate, Avast Cleanup, and AVG TuneUp allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM. NortonUtilitiesSvc follows an attacker-created symbolic link across a TOCTTOU window, causing a privileged file operation to act on an attacker-chosen target. A low-privileged account with local execution is required; successful racing elevates code to SYSTEM on affected 64-bit Windows installations.

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

Link following in Norton Utilities Ultimate, Avast Cleanup, and AVG TuneUp allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM. NortonUtilitiesSvc follows an attacker-created symbolic link across a TOCTTOU window, causing a privileged file operation to act on an attacker-chosen target. A low-privileged account with local execution is required; successful racing elevates code to SYSTEM on affected 64-bit Windows installations.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-13944
Published
May 9, 2025
Updated
Oct 13, 2025
Vendor
Gen Digital
Product
AVG TuneUp
Classifications
CWE-59, CWE-367, CAPEC-233, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 13, 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 <=24.3.17165.10564

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Gen Digital · AVG TuneUpversion=0 <=24.3.17165.10564
Gen Digital · Norton Utilities Ultimateversion=0 <=24.3.17165.6812
Avast · Avast Cleanupversion=0 <=24.3.17165.19178

Published CVSS scores

7.8NortonLifeLock Inc.CVSS: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.

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-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
CAPEC-233Privilege Escalation
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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