CVE-2023-27328: Parallels Desktop Toolgate XML Injection Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.0)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.3% 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-91

Description

Parallels Desktop Toolgate XML Injection 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 guest system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Toolgate component. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied string before using it to construct an XML document. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of the hypervisor. Was ZDI-CAN-19187.

Affected products

Parallels Desktop: before 18.1.1_\(53328\) — fixed in 18.1.1_\(53328\)

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Parallels Desktop 18.1.1_\(53328\). Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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