# CVE-2023-3181: Insecure Permissions in Splashtop Software Updater

> Standard users can achieve SYSTEM privileges by hijacking a DLL in a world-writable temporary folder used by the Splashtop Software Updater.

- **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:** 25 Jan 2024
- **Updated:** 3 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vp9f-3rqh-83pc

## What is CVE-2023-3181?

CVE-2023-3181 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splashtop Software Updater, published on 25 Jan 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The C:\Program Files (x86)\Splashtop\Splashtop Software Updater\uninst.exe process creates a folder at C:\Windows\Temp~nsu.tmp and copies itself to it as Au_.exe. The C:\Windows\Temp~nsu.tmp\Au_.exe file is automatically launched as SYSTEM when the system reboots or when a standard user runs an MSI repair using Splashtop Streamer’s Windows Installer. Since the C:\Windows\Temp~nsu.tmp folder inherits permissions from C:\Windows\Temp and Au_.exe is susceptible to DLL hijacking, standard users can write a malicious DLL to it and elevate their privileges.

Weakness: CWE-379 (Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-3181?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Splashtop Mirroring360 Receiver, Splashtop Mirroring360 Sender, Splashtop Splashtop, Splashtop Splashtop for Rmm, Splashtop Streamer.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-3181?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-3181 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-3181 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-3181 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-3181 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-3181 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splashtop Software Updater, published on 25 Jan 2024. 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-2023-3181 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Splashtop Software Updater. 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-2023-3181/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3181/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3181
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3181
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-3181

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3181/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.