SYSTEM code execution via planted configuration file
Published Jan 30, 2026 · Updated Jan 30, 2026
Privilege escalation in ESET Inspect Connector 2.8.5555 and earlier for Windows allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. A low-privileged user can plant a custom configuration file in a specific location, causing the connector at launch to load a malicious DLL into its privileged process. The attacker must already be logged in locally with low privileges; successful exploitation runs the planted code with SYSTEM permissions.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in ESET Inspect Connector 2.8.5555 and earlier for Windows allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. A low-privileged user can plant a custom configuration file in a specific location, causing the connector at launch to load a malicious DLL into its privileged process. The attacker must already be logged in locally with low privileges; successful exploitation runs the planted code with SYSTEM permissions.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-13176
- Published
- Jan 30, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 30, 2026
- Vendor
- ESET
- Product
- ESET Inspect Connector
- Classifications
- CWE-269, CAPEC-233, T1574.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 30, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 30, 2026Record 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 versionversion=0 <=2.8.5555
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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