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.
1786 vulnerabilities reference this CWE, most recent first.
GHSA-592G-2WX9-5J84
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-17 01:58 – Updated: 2022-05-17 01:58Untrusted search path vulnerability in NFC Port Software Version 5.5.0.6 and earlier (for RC-S310, RC-S320, RC-S330, RC-S370, RC-S380, RC-S380/S), NFC Port Software Version 5.3.6.7 and earlier (for RC-S320, RC-S310/J1C, RC-S310/ED4C), PC/SC Activator for Type B Ver.1.2.1.0 and earlier, SFCard Viewer 2 Ver.2.5.0.0 and earlier, NFC Net Installer Ver.1.1.0.0 and earlier allows an attacker to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in an unspecified directory.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2017-2286"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2017-08-02T16:29:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Untrusted search path vulnerability in NFC Port Software Version 5.5.0.6 and earlier (for RC-S310, RC-S320, RC-S330, RC-S370, RC-S380, RC-S380/S), NFC Port Software Version 5.3.6.7 and earlier (for RC-S320, RC-S310/J1C, RC-S310/ED4C), PC/SC Activator for Type B Ver.1.2.1.0 and earlier, SFCard Viewer 2 Ver.2.5.0.0 and earlier, NFC Net Installer Ver.1.1.0.0 and earlier allows an attacker to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in an unspecified directory.",
"id": "GHSA-592g-2wx9-5j84",
"modified": "2022-05-17T01:58:19Z",
"published": "2022-05-17T01:58:19Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-2286"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://jvn.jp/en/jp/JVN16136413/index.html"
}
],
"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-594M-24QW-WFMP
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-04-25 00:30 – Updated: 2026-04-25 00:30NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) 3.06.1 before 3.12 sometimes uses the Low IL temp directory when executing as SYSTEM, allowing local attackers to gain privileges (if they can cause my_GetTempFileName to return 0, as shown in the references).
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-42171"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-04-24T22:16:01Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) 3.06.1 before 3.12 sometimes uses the Low IL temp directory when executing as SYSTEM, allowing local attackers to gain privileges (if they can cause my_GetTempFileName to return 0, as shown in the references).",
"id": "GHSA-594m-24qw-wfmp",
"modified": "2026-04-25T00:30:27Z",
"published": "2026-04-25T00:30:27Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42171"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/NSIS-Dev/nsis/commit/8e6f02205d5f22da6c7855dbfe59b2af667330ca"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/NSIS-Dev/nsis/blob/7359413009afd4f0fff472d841fc2f2cc0e0a5f8/Source/exehead/util.c#L475-L484"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winbase/nf-winbase-gettempfilename"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://nsis.sourceforge.io/Docs/AppendixF.html#v3.12-cl"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-59CX-W742-P2R4
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-09-03 15:30 – Updated: 2024-04-04 07:22ForeScout NAC SecureConnector version 11.2 - CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-39374"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2023-09-03T15:15:14Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "\nForeScout NAC SecureConnector version 11.2 -\u00a0CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element\n\n\n",
"id": "GHSA-59cx-w742-p2r4",
"modified": "2024-04-04T07:22:50Z",
"published": "2023-09-03T15:30:18Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-39374"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/faq/cve_advisories"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-59GF-XFM9-WXWP
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-08-11 03:30 – Updated: 2024-04-04 06:49Uncontrolled search path in some Intel(R) oneMKL software before version 2022.0 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2022-25864"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2023-08-11T03:15:10Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Uncontrolled search path in some Intel(R) oneMKL software before version 2022.0 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.",
"id": "GHSA-59gf-xfm9-wxwp",
"modified": "2024-04-04T06:49:22Z",
"published": "2023-08-11T03:30:19Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-25864"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00873.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"
}
]
}
GHSA-59WJ-G52M-96W6
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-02-17 00:00 – Updated: 2022-02-17 00:00Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop version 2.7.0.13 (and earlier) is affected by an Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must download a malicious DLL file. The attacker has to deliver the DLL on the same folder as the installer which makes it as a high complexity attack vector.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2022-23202"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2022-02-16T17:15:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop version 2.7.0.13 (and earlier) is affected by an Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability that could result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue requires user interaction in that a victim must download a malicious DLL file. The attacker has to deliver the DLL on the same folder as the installer which makes it as a high complexity attack vector.",
"id": "GHSA-59wj-g52m-96w6",
"modified": "2022-02-17T00:00:29Z",
"published": "2022-02-17T00:00:29Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-23202"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/creative-cloud/apsb22-11.html"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-5C89-5MRJ-8H62
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-03-14 21:30 – Updated: 2024-03-14 21:30Db2 for IBM i 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 infrastructure could allow a local user to gain elevated privileges due to an unqualified library call. A malicious actor could cause user-controlled code to run with administrator privilege. IBM X-Force ID: 280203.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-22346"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2024-03-14T19:15:49Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Db2 for IBM i 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, and 7.5 infrastructure could allow a local user to gain elevated privileges due to an unqualified library call. A malicious actor could cause user-controlled code to run with administrator privilege. IBM X-Force ID: 280203.",
"id": "GHSA-5c89-5mrj-8h62",
"modified": "2024-03-14T21:30:51Z",
"published": "2024-03-14T21:30:51Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-22346"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/280203"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7140499"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-5F2F-2J4J-7XXW
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-24 17:43 – Updated: 2022-09-22 00:00ownCloud owncloud/client before 2.7 allows DLL Injection. The desktop client loaded development plugins from certain directories when they were present.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2020-28646"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2021-02-26T15:15:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "ownCloud owncloud/client before 2.7 allows DLL Injection. The desktop client loaded development plugins from certain directories when they were present.",
"id": "GHSA-5f2f-2j4j-7xxw",
"modified": "2022-09-22T00:00:26Z",
"published": "2022-05-24T17:43:09Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-28646"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://owncloud.com/security-advisories/cve-2020-28646"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://owncloud.com/security-advisories/feed"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-5F4V-G9PG-7Q52
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-09-30 15:30 – Updated: 2025-09-30 15:30Local privilege escalation due to DLL hijacking vulnerability. The following products are affected: Acronis True Image (Windows) before build 42386.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-11178"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-09-30T15:15:47Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Local privilege escalation due to DLL hijacking vulnerability. The following products are affected: Acronis True Image (Windows) before build 42386.",
"id": "GHSA-5f4v-g9pg-7q52",
"modified": "2025-09-30T15:30:30Z",
"published": "2025-09-30T15:30:30Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-11178"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://security-advisory.acronis.com/advisories/SEC-7078"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-5F63-6F4M-H5H4
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-13 01:37 – Updated: 2022-05-13 01:37A vulnerability in the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform a DLL preloading attack, potentially causing a partial impact to the device availability, confidentiality, and integrity, aka Insecure Library Loading. The vulnerability is due to the application loading a malicious copy of a specific, nondefined DLL file instead of the DLL file it was expecting. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by placing an affected DLL within the search path of the host system. An exploit could allow the attacker to load a malicious DLL file into the system, thus partially compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the device. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvf37955.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2017-12314"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2017-11-16T07:29:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "A vulnerability in the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform a DLL preloading attack, potentially causing a partial impact to the device availability, confidentiality, and integrity, aka Insecure Library Loading. The vulnerability is due to the application loading a malicious copy of a specific, nondefined DLL file instead of the DLL file it was expecting. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by placing an affected DLL within the search path of the host system. An exploit could allow the attacker to load a malicious DLL file into the system, thus partially compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the device. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvf37955.",
"id": "GHSA-5f63-6f4m-h5h4",
"modified": "2022-05-13T01:37:54Z",
"published": "2022-05-13T01:37:54Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12314"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20171115-findit"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101896"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-5F6J-M47J-4279
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-11-07 21:30 – Updated: 2023-11-07 21:30General Electric MiCOM S1 Agile is vulnerable to an attacker achieving code execution by placing malicious DLL files in the directory of the application.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-0898"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2023-11-07T17:15:09Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "\nGeneral Electric MiCOM S1 Agile is vulnerable to an attacker achieving code execution by placing malicious DLL files in the directory of the application.\n\n\n\n\n",
"id": "GHSA-5f6j-m47j-4279",
"modified": "2023-11-07T21:30:24Z",
"published": "2023-11-07T21:30:24Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-0898"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-23-311-23"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
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.