# CVE-2023-0975: Privilege escalation in Trellix Agent

> Local attackers can replace executables during installation or upgrade to elevate privileges on Windows systems running Trellix Agent.

- **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Apr 2023
- **Updated:** 11 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-645g-q3pq-8q25

## What is CVE-2023-0975?

CVE-2023-0975 is a high-severity vulnerability in Trellix Agent, published on 3 Apr 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A vulnerability exists in Trellix Agent for Windows version 5.7.8 and earlier, that allows local users, during install/upgrade workflow, to replace one of the Agent’s executables before it can be executed. This allows the user to elevate their permissions.

Weakness: CWE-281 (Improper Preservation of Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-0975?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Trellix Agent.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-0975?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-0975 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-0975 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-0975 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Trellix Agent

- [CVE-2024-0213](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-0213/): Memory corruption in Trellix Agent (TA) (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2023-0977](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0977/): Memory corruption in Trellix Agent (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2022-3859](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3859/): Privilege escalation in Trellix Agent (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2023-0976](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0976/): Command injection in Trellix Agent (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2023-1388](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1388/): Memory corruption in Trellix Agent (medium 6.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-0975 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-0975 is a high-severity vulnerability in Trellix Agent, published on 3 Apr 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-0975 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Trellix Agent. 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-2023-0975/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0975/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-0975
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-0975
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-0975

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0975/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.