CVE-2023-36898

LPE in Microsoft Windows 11 21H2 ≤ 10.0.22000.2295

LPE

Published

08 August 2023

Modified

10 August 2026

Patch / advisory

View advisory

CVSS Score v3.1 7.8

Click a component to see what it means

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.0072 53th percentile

Risk Priority 58 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-36898 is a high-severity Untrusted Search Path (CWE-426) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 11 21H2. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception by Unquoted Path (T1574.009); ranked in the top 47% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-40818

Vulnerability Data

Tablet Windows User Interface Application Core Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CWE(s): CWE-426 NVD-CWE-noinfo

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1574.009 Path Interception by Unquoted Path Stealth

Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking vulnerable file path references.

attack.mitre.org →

T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control

Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.003 NTDS Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to access or create a copy of the Active Directory domain database in order to steal credential information, as well as obtain other information about domain members such as devices, users, and access rights.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access

Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…

attack.mitre.org →

T1005 Data from Local System Collection

Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.

attack.mitre.org →

Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-21435Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 22H2

CVE-2023-35343Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 21H2

CVE-2023-36003Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 21H2

CVE-2023-41766Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 21H2

CVE-2024-20693Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 21H2

CVE-2023-36393Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 21H2

CVE-2023-38146Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 21H2

CVE-2022-22047Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 21H2

CVE-2023-24902Same product: Microsoft Windows 11 21H2

CVE-2024-43616Same vendor: Microsoft

Affected Assets

microsoft

windows 11 21h2

≤ 10.0.22000.2295 · ≤ 10.0.22000.2295

microsoft

windows 11 22h2

≤ 10.0.22621.2134 · ≤ 10.0.22621.2134

Mitigating Controls

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.

PR.PS-01 partial match

blocks

Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search paths and restrict environment variables that enable the weakness.

PR.PS-05 partial match

blocks

Preventing execution of unauthorized code directly blocks the malicious binaries that an untrusted search path would load.

PR.PS-06 partial match

blocks

Secure development practices include avoiding or sanitizing externally influenced search paths in application code.

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.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match

removes

A.5.15 Access control partial match

removes

A.5.16 Identity management partial match

removes

A.5.17 Authentication information partial match

removes

A.5.18 Access rights partial match

removes

A.8.10 Information deletion partial match

removes