CWE-427
Allowed-with-ReviewUncontrolled Search Path Element
Abstraction: Base · Status: Draft
The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.
1838 vulnerabilities reference this CWE, most recent first.
GHSA-R3VG-939C-2MRM
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2021-12-15 00:01 – Updated: 2021-12-22 00:01Rapid7 Insight Agent, versions 3.0.1 to 3.1.2.34, suffer from a local privilege escalation due to an uncontrolled DLL search path. Specifically, when Insight Agent versions 3.0.1 to 3.1.2.34 start, the Python interpreter attempts to load python3.dll at "C:\DLLs\python3.dll," which normally is writable by locally authenticated users. Because of this, a malicious local user could use Insight Agent's startup conditions to elevate to SYSTEM privileges. This issue was fixed in Rapid7 Insight Agent 3.1.2.35. This vulnerability is a regression of CVE-2019-5629.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2021-4007"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2021-12-14T15:15:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Rapid7 Insight Agent, versions 3.0.1 to 3.1.2.34, suffer from a local privilege escalation due to an uncontrolled DLL search path. Specifically, when Insight Agent versions 3.0.1 to 3.1.2.34 start, the Python interpreter attempts to load python3.dll at \"C:\\DLLs\\python3.dll,\" which normally is writable by locally authenticated users. Because of this, a malicious local user could use Insight Agent\u0027s startup conditions to elevate to SYSTEM privileges. This issue was fixed in Rapid7 Insight Agent 3.1.2.35. This vulnerability is a regression of CVE-2019-5629.",
"id": "GHSA-r3vg-939c-2mrm",
"modified": "2021-12-22T00:01:55Z",
"published": "2021-12-15T00:01:00Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4007"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=2019-5629"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://docs.rapid7.com/release-notes/insightagent/20211210"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-R47G-VHXJ-3C8P
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-12-10 18:30 – Updated: 2025-12-23 15:30MailEnable versions prior to 10.54 contain an unsafe DLL loading vulnerability that can lead to local arbitrary code execution. The MailEnable administrative executable attempts to load MEAIAU.DLL from its installation directory without sufficient integrity validation or a secure search order. A local attacker with write access to that directory can plant a malicious MEAIAU.DLL, which is then loaded on execution, resulting in attacker-controlled code running with the privileges of the process.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-34423"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-12-10T16:16:26Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "MailEnable versions prior to 10.54 contain an unsafe DLL loading vulnerability that can lead to local arbitrary code execution. The MailEnable administrative executable attempts to load MEAIAU.DLL from its installation directory without sufficient integrity validation or a secure search order. A local attacker with write access to that directory can plant a malicious MEAIAU.DLL, which is then loaded on execution, resulting in attacker-controlled code running with the privileges of the process.",
"id": "GHSA-r47g-vhxj-3c8p",
"modified": "2025-12-23T15:30:29Z",
"published": "2025-12-10T18:30:26Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-34423"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://mailenable.com/Standard-ReleaseNotes.txt"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.mailenable.com"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/mailenable-dll-hijacking-via-unsafe-loading-of-meaiau-dll"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
},
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
"type": "CVSS_V4"
}
]
}
GHSA-R4GJ-6QWP-4QRC
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-24 19:02 – Updated: 2022-05-24 19:02In Ubiquiti UniFi Video v3.10.13, when the executable starts, its first library validation is in the current directory. This allows the impersonation and modification of the library to execute code on the system. This was tested in (Windows 7 x64/Windows 10 x64).
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2020-24755"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2021-05-17T22:15:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "In Ubiquiti UniFi Video v3.10.13, when the executable starts, its first library validation is in the current directory. This allows the impersonation and modification of the library to execute code on the system. This was tested in (Windows 7 x64/Windows 10 x64).",
"id": "GHSA-r4gj-6qwp-4qrc",
"modified": "2022-05-24T19:02:44Z",
"published": "2022-05-24T19:02:44Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-24755"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T41h4yeh9dk"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-R4PF-3V7R-HH55
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-03-04 20:42 – Updated: 2024-03-06 21:36Impact
Windows-Only: The NSIS installer makes a system call to open cmd.exe via NSExec in the .nsh installer script. NSExec by default searches the current directory of where the installer is located before searching PATH. This means that if an attacker can place a malicious executable file named cmd.exe in the same folder as the installer, the installer will run the malicious file.
Patches
Fixed in https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/pull/8059
Workarounds
None, it executes at the installer-level before the app is present on the system, so there's no way to check if it exists in a current installer.
References
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/426.html https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/427
{
"affected": [
{
"package": {
"ecosystem": "npm",
"name": "app-builder-lib"
},
"ranges": [
{
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "24.13.2"
}
],
"type": "ECOSYSTEM"
}
]
}
],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-27303"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-426",
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": true,
"github_reviewed_at": "2024-03-04T20:42:45Z",
"nvd_published_at": "2024-03-06T19:15:08Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "### Impact\nWindows-Only: The NSIS installer makes a system call to open cmd.exe via NSExec in the `.nsh` installer script. NSExec by default searches the current directory of where the installer is located before searching `PATH`. This means that if an attacker can place a malicious executable file named cmd.exe in the same folder as the installer, the installer will run the malicious file.\n\n### Patches\nFixed in https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/pull/8059\n\n### Workarounds\nNone, it executes at the installer-level before the app is present on the system, so there\u0027s no way to check if it exists in a current installer.\n\n### References\nhttps://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/426.html\nhttps://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/427",
"id": "GHSA-r4pf-3v7r-hh55",
"modified": "2024-03-06T21:36:08Z",
"published": "2024-03-04T20:42:45Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/security/advisories/GHSA-r4pf-3v7r-hh55"
},
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-27303"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/pull/8059"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/commit/8f4acff3c2d45c1cb07779bb3fe79644408ee387"
},
{
"type": "PACKAGE",
"url": "https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
],
"summary": "electron-builder\u0027s NSIS installer - execute arbitrary code on the target machine (Windows only)"
}
GHSA-R4PJ-228R-7758
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-09-12 15:33 – Updated: 2024-09-12 15:33Local Privilege Escalation in AVG Internet Security v24 on Windows allows a local unprivileged user to escalate privileges to SYSTEM via COM-Hijacking.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-6510"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2024-09-12T15:18:26Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Local Privilege Escalation in AVG Internet Security v24 on Windows allows a local unprivileged user to escalate privileges to SYSTEM via COM-Hijacking.",
"id": "GHSA-r4pj-228r-7758",
"modified": "2024-09-12T15:33:01Z",
"published": "2024-09-12T15:33:01Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-6510"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.cirosec.de/sa/sa-2023-008"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-R4VP-2V6M-CQMG
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-12-07 09:30 – Updated: 2023-12-11 18:30DLL hijacking vulnerability in TTplayer version 7.0.2, allows local attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code via urlmon.dll.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-48861"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2023-12-07T08:15:07Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "DLL hijacking vulnerability in TTplayer version 7.0.2, allows local attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code via urlmon.dll.",
"id": "GHSA-r4vp-2v6m-cqmg",
"modified": "2023-12-11T18:30:31Z",
"published": "2023-12-07T09:30:45Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-48861"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/xieqiang11/POC4/blob/main/README.md"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-R5FV-VX8P-JVRQ
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-09-17 00:31 – Updated: 2025-11-04 18:31A library injection issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.7, macOS Sonoma 14.7, macOS Sequoia 15. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-44168"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-114",
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2024-09-17T00:15:51Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "A library injection issue was addressed with additional restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Ventura 13.7, macOS Sonoma 14.7, macOS Sequoia 15. An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system.",
"id": "GHSA-r5fv-vx8p-jvrq",
"modified": "2025-11-04T18:31:23Z",
"published": "2024-09-17T00:31:06Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-44168"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/121234"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/121238"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/121247"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Sep/33"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Sep/40"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Sep/41"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-R5HG-G2G5-9H8F
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-04-02 18:31 – Updated: 2026-04-02 18:31Local privilege escalation due to DLL hijacking vulnerability. The following products are affected: Acronis True Image (Windows) before build 42902.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-28728"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-04-02T18:16:27Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Local privilege escalation due to DLL hijacking vulnerability. The following products are affected: Acronis True Image (Windows) before build 42902.",
"id": "GHSA-r5hg-g2g5-9h8f",
"modified": "2026-04-02T18:31:38Z",
"published": "2026-04-02T18:31:38Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28728"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://security-advisory.acronis.com/advisories/SEC-10401"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-R644-RC44-Q3W7
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-13 01:31 – Updated: 2022-05-13 01:31The uncontrolled search path element vulnerability in Gemalto Sentinel UltraPro Client Library ux32w.dll Versions 1.3.0, 1.3.1, and 1.3.2 enables an attacker to load and execute a malicious file.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2019-6534"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2019-04-11T21:29:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "The uncontrolled search path element vulnerability in Gemalto Sentinel UltraPro Client Library ux32w.dll Versions 1.3.0, 1.3.1, and 1.3.2 enables an attacker to load and execute a malicious file.",
"id": "GHSA-r644-rc44-q3w7",
"modified": "2022-05-13T01:31:12Z",
"published": "2022-05-13T01:31:12Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-6534"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-19-073-02"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-19-078-01"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://supportportal.gemalto.com/csm?id=kb_article_view\u0026sysparm_article=KB0017694"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://sw.aveva.com/hubfs/assets-2018/pdf/security-bulletin/SecurityBulletin_LFSec131.pdf"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-R6H8-VRH6-M65F
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-02-13 00:33 – Updated: 2025-02-13 00:33Uncontrolled search path for some Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility before version 10.1.19867.8574 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-36291"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-02-12T22:15:34Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Uncontrolled search path for some Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility before version 10.1.19867.8574 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.",
"id": "GHSA-r6h8-vrh6-m65f",
"modified": "2025-02-13T00:33:05Z",
"published": "2025-02-13T00:33:05Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-36291"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01184.html"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
},
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
"type": "CVSS_V4"
}
]
}
Mitigation
Strategy: Attack Surface Reduction
Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.
Mitigation
Strategy: Attack Surface Reduction
When invoking other programs, specify those programs using fully-qualified pathnames. While this is an effective approach, code that uses fully-qualified pathnames might not be portable to other systems that do not use the same pathnames. The portability can be improved by locating the full-qualified paths in a centralized, easily-modifiable location within the source code, and having the code refer to these paths.
Mitigation
Strategy: Attack Surface Reduction
Remove or restrict all environment settings before invoking other programs. This includes the PATH environment variable, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and other settings that identify the location of code libraries, and any application-specific search paths.
Mitigation
Check your search path before use and remove any elements that are likely to be unsafe, such as the current working directory or a temporary files directory. Since this is a denylist approach, it might not be a complete solution.
Mitigation
Use other functions that require explicit paths. Making use of any of the other readily available functions that require explicit paths is a safe way to avoid this problem. For example, system() in C does not require a full path since the shell can take care of finding the program using the PATH environment variable, while execl() and execv() require a full path.
CAPEC-38: Leveraging/Manipulating Configuration File Search Paths
This pattern of attack sees an adversary load a malicious resource into a program's standard path so that when a known command is executed then the system instead executes the malicious component. The adversary can either modify the search path a program uses, like a PATH variable or classpath, or they can manipulate resources on the path to point to their malicious components. J2EE applications and other component based applications that are built from multiple binaries can have very long list of dependencies to execute. If one of these libraries and/or references is controllable by the attacker then application controls can be circumvented by the attacker.
CAPEC-471: Search Order Hijacking
An adversary exploits a weakness in an application's specification of external libraries to exploit the functionality of the loader where the process loading the library searches first in the same directory in which the process binary resides and then in other directories. Exploitation of this preferential search order can allow an attacker to make the loading process load the adversary's rogue library rather than the legitimate library. This attack can be leveraged with many different libraries and with many different loading processes. No forensic trails are left in the system's registry or file system that an incorrect library had been loaded.