CVE-2024-13961

SYSTEM code execution via symlinked directory deletion

Published May 9, 2025 · Updated May 9, 2025

Local privilege escalation in Avast Cleanup Premium 24.2.16593.17810 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM. The TuneupSvc cleanup service follows an attacker-created symbolic link between its path check and use, allowing its privileged directory-deletion operation to target an unintended location. Low-privileged code execution on a Windows 10 Pro x64 host is required; successful exploitation grants SYSTEM-level code execution.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in Avast Cleanup Premium 24.2.16593.17810 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM. The TuneupSvc cleanup service follows an attacker-created symbolic link between its path check and use, allowing its privileged directory-deletion operation to target an unintended location. Low-privileged code execution on a Windows 10 Pro x64 host is required; successful exploitation grants SYSTEM-level code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-13961
Published
May 9, 2025
Updated
May 9, 2025
Vendor
Avast
Product
Avast Cleanup Premium
Classifications
CWE-367, CWE-59, CAPEC-549, CAPEC-233
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 9, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 9, 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=24.2.16593.17810

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Avast · Avast Cleanup Premiumversion=24.2.16593.17810

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-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
CAPEC-549Local Execution of Code
CAPEC-233Privilege 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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