# CVE-2023-45159: 1E Client installer can perform arbitrary file deletion on protected files

> A non-privileged user can delete protected files by exploiting symbolic links in the 1E Client installer during service startup.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/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:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 18 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p6vf-3g57-hjv6

## What is CVE-2023-45159?

CVE-2023-45159 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in 1E Client, published on 5 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

1E Client installer can perform arbitrary file deletion on protected files.  

A non-privileged user could provide a symbolic link or Windows junction to point to a protected directory in the installer that the 1E Client would then clear on service startup. 

A hotfix is available from the 1E support portal that forces the 1E Client to check for a symbolic link or junction and if it finds one refuses to use that path and instead creates a path involving a random GUID.

for v8.1 use hotfix Q23097
for v8.4 use hotfix Q23105
for v9.0 use hotfix Q23115

for SaaS customers, use 1EClient v23.7 plus hotfix Q23121

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-45159?

It affects 1 product.


Products: 1e Client.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-45159?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-45159 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-45159 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-45159 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in 1E Client

- [CVE-2023-45160](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45160/): Elevated Temp Directory Execution in 1E Client (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-16268](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16268/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-27644](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27644/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-27645](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27645/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-27643](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27643/): Path traversal in n/a (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-45159 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-45159 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in 1E Client, published on 5 Oct 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-2023-45159 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: 1E Client. 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-2023-45159/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45159/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45159
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45159
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-45159

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45159/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.