# CVE-2023-28596: Local Privilege Escalation in Zoom for macOS Installers

> A local low-privileged user can escalate privileges to root during the installation process of Zoom for IT Admin on macOS.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/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:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 19 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4hfv-g3hm-82x2

## What is CVE-2023-28596?

CVE-2023-28596 is a high-severity vulnerability in Zoom Client for Meetings for IT Admin macOS installers, published on 27 Mar 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Zoom Client for IT Admin macOS installers before version 5.13.5 contain a local privilege escalation vulnerability. A local low-privileged user could exploit this vulnerability in an attack chain during the installation process to escalate their privileges to privileges to root.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-28596?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Zoom Meetings.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-28596?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-28596 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-28596 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-28596 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Zoom Client for Meetings for IT Admin macOS installers

- [CVE-2021-33907](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33907/): Code injection in Zoom Client for Meetings for Windows (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-28768](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28768/): Local Privilege Escalation in Zoom Client Installer for macOS (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-28763](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28763/): Improper URL parsing in Zoom Clients (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-28757](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28757/): Local Privilege Escalation in Auto Updater for Zoom Client for Meetings for macOS (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-28751](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28751/): Local Privilege Escalation in Zoom Client for Meetings for MacOS (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-28596 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-28596 is a high-severity vulnerability in Zoom Client for Meetings for IT Admin macOS installers, published on 27 Mar 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-2023-28596 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Zoom Client for Meetings for IT Admin macOS installers. 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-2023-28596/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28596/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-28596
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28596
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28596

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28596/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.