CVE-2023-1412
Cloudflare Warp ≤ 2023.3.381.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2023-1412 is a high-severity Link Following (CWE-59) vulnerability in Cloudflare Warp. Its CVSS base score is 7.0 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 16th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-23666
Vulnerability Data
An unprivileged (non-admin) user can exploit an Improper Access Control vulnerability in the Cloudflare WARP Client for Windows (<= 2022.12.582.0) to perform privileged operations with SYSTEM context by working with a combination of opportunistic locks (oplock) and symbolic links (which…
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can both be created by an unprivileged user). After installing the Cloudflare WARP Client (admin privileges required), an MSI-Installer is placed under C:\Windows\Installer. The vulnerability lies in the repair function of this MSI. ImpactAn unprivileged (non-admin) user can exploit this vulnerability to perform privileged operations with SYSTEM context, including deleting arbitrary files and reading arbitrary file content. This can lead to a variety of attacks, including the manipulation of system files and privilege escalation. PatchesA new installer with a fix that addresses this vulnerability was released in version 2023.3.381.0. While the WARP Client itself is not vulnerable (only the installer), users are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version and delete any older installers present in their systems.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V15.4.2
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require code to validate paths and avoid unsafe link following.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect link-following flaws before release.
Secure SDLC practices can mandate link-resolution checks and canonicalization before file access.
Application security requirements can explicitly require safe handling of symbolic links and path traversal.
Secure architecture principles include input validation and safe file-access design patterns.
Secure coding standards directly address canonicalization and symlink attacks during implementation.
Access-control rules can limit which files are reachable, reducing exposure to malicious links.