IBM Informix Dynamic Server Enterprise Edition 12.1 could allow a local user logged in with database administrator user to gain root privileges through a symbolic link vulnerability in .infxdirs. IBM X-Force ID: 144432.

(1) oo-analytics-export and (2) oo-analytics-import in the openshift-origin-broker-util package in Red Hat OpenShift Enterprise 1 and 2 allow local users to have unspecified impact via a symlink attack on an unspecified file in /tmp.

Improper link resolution before file access in the Nomad module of the 1E Client, in versions prior to 25.3, enables an attacker with local unprivileged access on a Windows system to delete arbitrary files on the device by exploiting symbolic links.

Tanium addressed a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Patch Endpoint Tools.

A vulnerability was detected in ermig1979 AntiDupl up to 2.3.12. Impacted is an unknown function of the file AntiDupl.NET.WinForms.exe of the component Delete Duplicate Image Handler. The manipulation results in link following. The attack is only possible with local access. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.

A link following privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One (on-prem and SaaS) and Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security (10.0 SP1 and Services) could allow a local attacker to create a specially crafted file with arbitrary content which could grant local privilege escalation on the affected system. Please note: an attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.

Exim 4 before 4.94.2 allows Execution with Unnecessary Privileges. Because Exim operates as root in the log directory (owned by a non-root user), a symlink or hard link attack allows overwriting critical root-owned files anywhere on the filesystem.

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access in the AWS VPN Client for macOS versions 1.3.2- 5.2.0 allows a local user to execute code with elevated privileges. Insufficient validation checks on the log destination directory during log rotation could allow a non-administrator user to create a symlink from a client log file to a privileged location. On log rotation, this could lead to code execution with root privileges if the user made crafted API calls which injected arbitrary code into the log file. We recommend users upgrade to AWS VPN Client for macOS 5.2.1 or the latest version.

Windows Remote Access Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

kwallet-pam in KDE KWallet before 5.12.6 allows local users to obtain ownership of arbitrary files via a symlink attack.

Symbolic link manipulation vulnerability in McAfee Endpoint Security (ENS) for Windows prior to 10.7.0 February 2020 Update allows authenticated local user to potentially gain an escalation of privileges by pointing the link to files which the user which not normally have permission to alter via carefully creating symbolic links from the ENS log file directory.

Windows Setup Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

An issue was discovered in Quagga through 1.2.4. Unsafe chown/chmod operations in the suggested spec file allow users (with control of the non-root-owned directory /etc/quagga) to escalate their privileges to root upon package installation or update.

In Cylance CylancePROTECT before 1470, an unprivileged local user can obtain SYSTEM privileges because users have Modify access to the %PROGRAMFILES%\Cylance\Desktop\log folder, the CyUpdate process grants users Modify access to new files created in this folder, and a new file can be a symlink chain to a pathname of an arbitrary DLL that CyUpdate uses.

Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in System Speedup Service in Avira Operations GmbH Avira Prime Version 1.1.96.2 on Windows 10 x64 allows local attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM via creating a symbolic link and leveraging a TOCTTOU (time-of-check to time-of-use) attack.

Wacom Center WTabletServicePro Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Wacom Center. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within WTabletServicePro process. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to create a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-24304.

An arbitrary file deletion vulnerability exists in PaperCut NG/MF, specifically affecting Windows servers with Web Print enabled. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must first obtain local login access to the Windows Server hosting PaperCut NG/MF and be capable of executing low-privilege code directly on the server via the web-print-hot-folder. Important: In most installations, this risk is mitigated by the default Windows Server configuration, which restricts local login access to Administrators only. However, this vulnerability could pose a risk to customers who allow non-administrative users to log into the local console of the Windows environment hosting the PaperCut NG/MF application server. Update: This CVE has been updated in May 2025 to update the fixed version and fix process. Please refer to the May 2025 Security Bulletin. Note: This CVE has been split from CVE-2024-3037.

Avast Cleanup Premium Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Avast Cleanup Premium. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Avast Cleanup Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22893.

AVG AntiVirus Free AVGSvc Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of AVG AntiVirus Free. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the AVG Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22260.

Avast Cleanup Premium Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Avast Cleanup Premium. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Avast Cleanup Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22892.

Avast Free Antivirus AvastSvc Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Avast Free Antivirus. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Avast Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a folder. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-23731.

Comodo Internet Security Pro cmdagent Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Comodo Internet Security Pro. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the cmdagent executable. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the agent to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22831.

Avast Free Antivirus AvastSvc Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Avast Free Antivirus. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Avast Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22272.

Panda Security Dome Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Panda Security Dome. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the PSANHost executable. By creating a junction, an attacker can abuse the service to delete arbitrary files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-23402.

Avast Free Antivirus AvastSvc Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Avast Free Antivirus. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Avast Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a folder. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22963.

VIPRE Advanced Security SBAMSvc Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of VIPRE Advanced Security. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Anti Malware Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22238.

Panda Security Dome Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Panda Security Dome. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the PSANHost executable. By creating a junction, an attacker can abuse the service to create arbitrary files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-23413.

VIPRE Advanced Security Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of VIPRE Advanced Security. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Anti Malware Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22314.

NVIDIA Windows GPU Display Driver (all versions) contains a vulnerability in the user mode video driver trace logger component. When an attacker has access to the system and creates a hard link, the software does not check for hard link attacks. This behavior may lead to code execution, denial of service, or escalation of privileges.

VIPRE Advanced Security PMAgent Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of VIPRE Advanced Security. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Patch Management Agent. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the agent to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-22315.

Thales Safenet Authentication Client (SAC) for Linux and Windows through 10.7.7 creates insecure temporary hid and lock files allowing a local attacker, through a symlink attack, to overwrite arbitrary files, and potentially achieve arbitrary command execution with high privileges.

This issue was addressed with improved handling of symlinks. This issue is fixed in macOS Tahoe 26.3. An app may be able to gain root privileges.

Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Host Process for Windows Tasks allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Snapshot functionality of Parallels Desktop for Mac version 20.1.1 (build 55740). When a snapshot of a virtual machine is taken, a root service writes to a file owned by a normal user. By using a hard link, an attacker can write to an arbitrary file, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

The init script in the Debian x11-common package before 1:7.6+12 is vulnerable to a symlink attack that can lead to a privilege escalation during package installation.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

replay-sorcery-kms in Replay Sorcery 0.6.0 allows a local attacker to gain root privileges via a symlink attack on /tmp/replay-sorcery or /tmp/replay-sorcery/device.sock.

Trend Micro Security (Consumer) 2021 and 2020 are vulnerable to a directory junction vulnerability which could allow an attacker to exploit the system to escalate privileges and create a denial of service.

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Snapshot functionality of Parallels Desktop for Mac version 20.1.1 (build 55740). When a snapshot of a virtual machine is deleted, a root service verifies and modifies the ownership of the snapshot files. By using a symlink, an attacker can change the ownership of files owned by root to a lower-privilege user, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

The Zoom Client for Meetings for Windows in all versions before version 5.3.2 writes log files to a user writable directory as a privileged user during the installation or update of the client. This could allow for potential privilege escalation if a link was created between the user writable directory used and a non-user writable directory.

Privilege escalation flaws were found in the Red Hat initialization scripts of PostgreSQL. An attacker with access to the postgres user account could use these flaws to obtain root access on the server machine.

Western Digital My Cloud OS 5 devices before 5.10.122 mishandle Symbolic Link Following on SMB and AFP shares. This can lead to code execution and information disclosure (by reading local files).

An issue was discovered in Icinga2 before v2.12.0-rc1. The prepare-dirs script (run as part of the icinga2 systemd service) executes chmod 2750 /run/icinga2/cmd. /run/icinga2 is under control of an unprivileged user by default. If /run/icinga2/cmd is a symlink, then it will by followed and arbitrary files can be changed to mode 2750 by the unprivileged icinga2 user.

Privilege escalation via arbitrary file write in pritunl electron client 1.0.1116.6 through v1.2.2550.20. Successful exploitation of the issue may allow an attacker to execute code on the effected system with root privileges.

Windows Error Reporting Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in python-postorius of openSUSE Leap 15.2, Factory allows local attackers to escalate from users postorius or postorius-admin to root. This issue affects: openSUSE Leap 15.2 python-postorius version 1.3.2-lp152.1.2 and prior versions. openSUSE Factory python-postorius version 1.3.4-2.1 and prior versions.

Windows WalletService Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

A LogServer arbitrary file creation vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex One could allow a local attacker to escalate privileges on affected installations. Please note: an attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.

NCP Secure Enterprise Client before 10.15 r47589 allows a symbolic link attack on enumusb.reg via Support Assistant.