CVE-2023-50226: Parallels Desktop Updater Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.0)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.7% 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-59

Description

Parallels Desktop Updater Link Following 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 move arbitrary files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of root. . Was ZDI-CAN-21227.

Affected products

Parallels Desktop: before 17.1.7_\(51588\); from 18.0.0_\(53049\) before 18.3.2_\(53621\) — fixed in 17.1.7_\(51588\), 18.3.2_\(53621\)

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Parallels Desktop 17.1.7_\(51588\), 18.3.2_\(53621\). Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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