# CVE-2023-26358: Adobe Creative Cloud AdobeExtensionService.exe local privilege escalation vulnerability

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges via an untrusted search path in Adobe Creative Cloud.

- **Severity:** High 8.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 22 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ggjh-pxh2-2w28

## What is CVE-2023-26358?

CVE-2023-26358 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Adobe Creative Cloud (desktop component), published on 22 Mar 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

Creative Cloud version 5.9.1 (and earlier) is affected by an Untrusted Search Path vulnerability that might allow attackers to execute their own programs, access unauthorized data files, or modify configuration in unexpected ways. If the application uses a search path to locate critical resources such as programs, then an attacker could modify that search path to point to a malicious program, which the targeted application would then execute. The problem extends to any type of critical resource that the application trusts.

Weakness: CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-26358?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Adobe Creative Cloud.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-26358?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-26358 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-26358 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-26358 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Adobe Creative Cloud (desktop component)

- [CVE-2020-9669](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-9669/): Privilege escalation in Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-8236](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8236/): Privilege escalation in Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop application (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-7958](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-7958/): Privilege escalation in Creative Cloud Desktop Application (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-7959](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-7959/): Supply chain in Creative Cloud Desktop Application (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-12829](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-12829/): Security feature bypass in Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application before 4.6.1 (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-26358 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-26358 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Adobe Creative Cloud (desktop component), published on 22 Mar 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-2023-26358 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Adobe Creative Cloud (desktop component). 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-2023-26358/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26358/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-26358
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-26358
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-26358

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26358/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.