CVE-2023-27323: Parallels Desktop Updater Time-Of-Check Time-Of-Use Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.0)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2024-05-03 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-367

Description

Parallels Desktop Updater Time-Of-Check Time-Of-Use Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Parallels Desktop. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target host system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Updater service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to execute a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of root. . Was ZDI-CAN-18150.

Affected products

Parallels Desktop: before 18.1.0_\(53311\) — fixed in 18.1.0_\(53311\)

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Parallels Desktop 18.1.0_\(53311\). Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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