# CVE-2023-39246: Path traversal in Dell Encryption, Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise, Dell Security Management Server (Windows)

> A local attacker can exploit insecure Windows junction handling during installation to create arbitrary folders in restricted directories, leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:L`)
- **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:** 16 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wphq-4xg8-q6m6

## What is CVE-2023-39246?

CVE-2023-39246 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Dell Encryption, Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise, Dell Security Management Server (Windows), published on 16 Nov 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

Dell Encryption, Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise, and Dell Security Management Server version prior to 11.8.1 contain an Insecure Operation on Windows Junction Vulnerability during installation. A local malicious user could potentially exploit this vulnerability to create an arbitrary folder inside a restricted directory, leading to Privilege Escalation

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access), CWE-61 (UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-39246?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Dell Encryption, Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise, Dell Security Management Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-39246?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-39246 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-39246 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-39246 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Dell Encryption, Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise, Dell Security Management Server (Windows)

- [CVE-2025-36564](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36564/): Privilege escalation in Encryption Admin Utilities (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2018-15766](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-15766/): Dell Encryption and Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise Security Policy Overwrite Vulnerability (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2025-46637](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-46637/): Path traversal in Dell Encryption (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2025-36611](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-36611/): Path traversal in Encryption (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2023-32479](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32479/): Privilege escalation in Dell Encryption (medium 6.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-39246 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-39246 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Dell Encryption, Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise, Dell Security Management Server (Windows), published on 16 Nov 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-2023-39246 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Dell Encryption, Dell Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise, Dell Security Management Server (Windows). 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-2023-39246/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-39246/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-39246
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-39246
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-39246

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-39246/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.