SYSTEM escalation via Vulscan ZIP-based DLL hijacking
Published Apr 8, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
DLL hijacking in Ivanti Endpoint Manager before 2024 SU1 or before 2022 SU7 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The default LANDESK Agent Health Bootstrap Task runs vulscan.exe as SYSTEM, accepts attacker-created ZIP archives from writable C:\ProgramData\vulScan, extracts their DLLs into Program Files (x86), and loads them without establishing trust. Any authenticated low-privilege account that can write the staging directory can obtain SYSTEM privileges and persistence when the recurring task runs.
Summary
What happened
DLL hijacking in Ivanti Endpoint Manager before 2024 SU1 or before 2022 SU7 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The default LANDESK Agent Health Bootstrap Task runs vulscan.exe as SYSTEM, accepts attacker-created ZIP archives from writable C:\ProgramData\vulScan, extracts their DLLs into Program Files (x86), and loads them without establishing trust. Any authenticated low-privilege account that can write the staging directory can obtain SYSTEM privileges and persistence when the recurring task runs.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-22458
- Published
- Apr 8, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- Ivanti
- Product
- Ivanti Endpoint Manager
- Classifications
- CWE-427, T1574.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 8, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 26, 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?
Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.
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
- SEC Consult Vulscan DLL hijacking proof of conceptfunctional · demonstrated
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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