# CVE-2022-38396: Privilege escalation in HP Factory Preinstalled Windows 10 20H2 Images

> Attackers can escalate privileges by executing files outside restricted paths in HP factory preinstalled Windows 10 images.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Feb 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4fqc-92ph-66xx

## What is CVE-2022-38396?

CVE-2022-38396 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1507, published on 3 Feb 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

HP Factory Preinstalled Images on certain systems that shipped with Windows 10 versions 20H2 and earlier OS versions might allow escalation of privilege via execution of certain files outside the restricted path. This potential vulnerability was remediated starting with Windows 10 versions 21H2 on October 31, 2021.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-38396?

It affects 10 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 10 1507, Microsoft Windows 10 1511, Microsoft Windows 10 1607, Microsoft Windows 10 1703, Microsoft Windows 10 1709, Microsoft Windows 10 1803, Microsoft Windows 10 1809, Microsoft Windows 10 1909, Microsoft Windows 10 2004, Microsoft Windows 10 20h2.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-38396?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-38396 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-38396 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-38396 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 10 1507

- [CVE-2017-8543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-8543/): Microsoft Windows Search Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-33053](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-33053/): Microsoft Windows External Control of File Name or Path (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-33073](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-33073/): Microsoft Windows SMB Client Improper Access Control (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-49039](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49039/): Microsoft Windows Task Scheduler Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-43461](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-43461/): Microsoft Windows MSHTML Platform Spoofing (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-38396 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-38396 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1507, published on 3 Feb 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-38396 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38396/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38396/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-38396
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38396
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-38396

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-38396/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.