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.
1784 vulnerabilities reference this CWE, most recent first.
GHSA-P6WR-RMQ4-5284
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-05-10 15:30 – Updated: 2024-04-04 03:59Uncontrolled search path for the Intel(R) NUC Pro Software Suite before version 2.0.0.3 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2022-34848"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427",
"CWE-428"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2023-05-10T14:15:13Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Uncontrolled search path for the Intel(R) NUC Pro Software Suite before version 2.0.0.3 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.",
"id": "GHSA-p6wr-rmq4-5284",
"modified": "2024-04-04T03:59:11Z",
"published": "2023-05-10T15:30:20Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-34848"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-00834.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-P772-97PF-8HMX
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-13 01:36 – Updated: 2022-05-13 01:36An Uncontrolled Search Path Element issue was discovered in AzeoTech DAQFactory versions prior to 17.1. An uncontrolled search path element vulnerability has been identified, which may execute malicious DLL files that have been placed within the search path.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2017-5147"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2017-09-09T01:29:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "An Uncontrolled Search Path Element issue was discovered in AzeoTech DAQFactory versions prior to 17.1. An uncontrolled search path element vulnerability has been identified, which may execute malicious DLL files that have been placed within the search path.",
"id": "GHSA-p772-97pf-8hmx",
"modified": "2022-05-13T01:36:40Z",
"published": "2022-05-13T01:36:40Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5147"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-17-241-01"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/100522"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-P8FH-8437-RR8P
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-24 22:28 – Updated: 2022-05-24 22:28Many of the services used by the affected product do not specify full paths for the DLLs they are loading. An attacker can exploit the uncontrolled search path by implanting their own DLL near the affected product’s binaries, thus hijacking the loaded DLL.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2021-38469"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2021-10-22T12:15:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Many of the services used by the affected product do not specify full paths for the DLLs they are loading. An attacker can exploit the uncontrolled search path by implanting their own DLL near the affected product\u2019s binaries, thus hijacking the loaded DLL.",
"id": "GHSA-p8fh-8437-rr8p",
"modified": "2022-05-24T22:28:49Z",
"published": "2022-05-24T22:28:49Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38469"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics/advisories/icsa-21-292-01"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-P92J-VQ8Q-93GG
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-12-09 18:30 – Updated: 2025-12-09 18:30Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability in Yandex Messenger on MacOS allows Search Order Hijacking.This issue affects Telemost: before 2.245
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-5469"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-12-09T16:17:59Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability in Yandex Messenger on MacOS allows Search Order Hijacking.This issue affects Telemost: before 2.245",
"id": "GHSA-p92j-vq8q-93gg",
"modified": "2025-12-09T18:30:37Z",
"published": "2025-12-09T18:30:37Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-5469"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://yandex.com/bugbounty/i/hall-of-fame-products"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:P/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:Y/R:A/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
"type": "CVSS_V4"
}
]
}
GHSA-P96X-FW5C-MHR8
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-09-23 15:31 – Updated: 2025-09-23 15:31Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability in Salesforce Salesforce CLI on Windows allows Replace Trusted Executable.This issue affects Salesforce CLI: before 2.106.6.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-9844"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-09-23T14:15:42Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability in Salesforce Salesforce CLI on Windows allows Replace Trusted Executable.This issue affects Salesforce CLI: before 2.106.6.",
"id": "GHSA-p96x-fw5c-mhr8",
"modified": "2025-09-23T15:31:09Z",
"published": "2025-09-23T15:31:09Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-9844"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005224301\u0026type=1"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-P9J6-7R4Q-R5HG
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-04-18 18:30 – Updated: 2024-04-04 03:32An Executable Hijacking condition exists in the Qualys Cloud Agent for Windows platform in versions before 4.5.3.1. Attackers may load a malicious copy of a Dependency Link Library (DLL) via a local attack vector instead of the DLL that the application was expecting, when processes are running with escalated privileges. This vulnerability is bounded only to the time of uninstallation and can only be exploited locally.
At the time of this disclosure, versions before 4.0 are classified as End of Life.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2023-28140"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2023-04-18T16:15:09Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "\nAn Executable Hijacking condition exists in the\nQualys Cloud Agent for Windows platform in versions before 4.5.3.1. Attackers\nmay load a malicious copy of a Dependency Link Library (DLL) via a local\nattack vector instead of the DLL that the application was expecting, when\nprocesses are running with escalated privileges. This vulnerability\nis bounded only to the time of uninstallation and can only be exploited\nlocally.\n\n\n\nAt the time of this disclosure, versions before 4.0 are classified as End of\nLife.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"id": "GHSA-p9j6-7r4q-r5hg",
"modified": "2024-04-04T03:32:07Z",
"published": "2023-04-18T18:30:28Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28140"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.qualys.com/security-advisories"
}
],
"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-PCG9-HHVC-MJJ6
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-02-20 03:32 – Updated: 2025-08-06 18:31An attacker can gain application privileges in order to perform limited modification and/or read arbitrary data in Citrix Secure Access Client for Mac
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-1223"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-02-20T01:15:09Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "An attacker can gain application privileges in order to perform limited modification and/or read arbitrary data in\u00a0Citrix Secure Access Client for Mac",
"id": "GHSA-pcg9-hhvc-mjj6",
"modified": "2025-08-06T18:31:05Z",
"published": "2025-02-20T03:32:03Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-1223"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://support.citrix.com/s/article/CTX692679-citrix-secure-access-client-for-mac-security-bulletin-for-cve20251222-and-cve20251223?language=en_US"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
},
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/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-PF62-QQ47-M25X
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-08-12 00:01 – Updated: 2022-08-12 00:01Adobe Premiere Elements version 2020v20 (and earlier) is affected by an Uncontrolled Search Path Element which could lead to Privilege Escalation. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to obtain admin using an existing low-privileged user. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2022-34235"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2022-08-11T15:15:00Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Adobe Premiere Elements version 2020v20 (and earlier) is affected by an Uncontrolled Search Path Element which could lead to Privilege Escalation. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to obtain admin using an existing low-privileged user. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.",
"id": "GHSA-pf62-qq47-m25x",
"modified": "2022-08-12T00:01:23Z",
"published": "2022-08-12T00:01:23Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-34235"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_elements/apsb22-43.html"
}
],
"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-PFQG-FQGC-5RC8
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-01-24 15:30 – Updated: 2025-01-24 15:30DLL hijacking vulnerabilities, caused by an uncontrolled search path in the CP210x VCP Windows
installer can lead to privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution when running the impacted installer.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-9495"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-01-24T15:15:11Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "DLL hijacking vulnerabilities, caused by an uncontrolled search path in the\u00a0CP210x VCP Windows \n\n\n\n installer can lead to privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution when running the impacted installer.",
"id": "GHSA-pfqg-fqgc-5rc8",
"modified": "2025-01-24T15:30:48Z",
"published": "2025-01-24T15:30:48Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-9495"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://community.silabs.com/068Vm00000JUQwd"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-PFVC-5MWQ-7QGG
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-24 17:12 – Updated: 2022-05-24 17:12Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2020.006.20034 and earlier, 2017.011.30158 and earlier, 2017.011.30158 and earlier, 2015.006.30510 and earlier, and 2015.006.30510 and earlier have an insecure library loading (dll hijacking) vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to privilege escalation.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2020-3803"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-426",
"CWE-427"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2020-03-25T18:15:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Adobe Acrobat and Reader versions 2020.006.20034 and earlier, 2017.011.30158 and earlier, 2017.011.30158 and earlier, 2015.006.30510 and earlier, and 2015.006.30510 and earlier have an insecure library loading (dll hijacking) vulnerability. Successful exploitation could lead to privilege escalation.",
"id": "GHSA-pfvc-5mwq-7qgg",
"modified": "2022-05-24T17:12:45Z",
"published": "2022-05-24T17:12:45Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3803"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb20-13.html"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
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.