CVE-2024-7236

Persistent denial of service via update symlink

Published Nov 22, 2024 · Updated Nov 23, 2024

Link following in AVG AntiVirus Free 23.12.8700.812 allows local users to cause persistent denial of service through the update process. The AVG Installer's update functionality creates a file at a symbolic-link destination without resolving and rejecting the attacker-controlled link. Exploitation requires low-privileged code execution on the host and leaves the system in a persistent denial-of-service condition.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.27%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Link following in AVG AntiVirus Free 23.12.8700.812 allows local users to cause persistent denial of service through the update process. The AVG Installer's update functionality creates a file at a symbolic-link destination without resolving and rejecting the attacker-controlled link. Exploitation requires low-privileged code execution on the host and leaves the system in a persistent denial-of-service condition.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-7236
Published
Nov 22, 2024
Updated
Nov 23, 2024
Vendor
AVG
Product
AVG AntiVirus Free
Classifications
CWE-59, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 22, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 23, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=23.12.8700.812

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

AVG · AVG AntiVirus Freeversion=23.12.8700.812

Published CVSS scores

5.3Zero Day InitiativeCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 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')
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo