# CVE-2023-4931: Uncontrolled search path element vulnerability in Plesk

> A local attacker can execute arbitrary code via DLL hijacking in Plesk Installer by placing malicious DLLs in the application directory.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 27 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j299-xg3x-fqhp

## What is CVE-2023-4931?

CVE-2023-4931 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Plesk Installer, published on 27 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

Uncontrolled search path element vulnerability in Plesk Installer affects version 3.27.0.0. A local attacker could execute arbitrary code by injecting DLL files into the same folder where the application is installed, resulting in DLL hijacking in edputil.dll, samlib.dll, urlmon.dll, sspicli.dll, propsys.dll and profapi.dll files.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-4931?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Plesk Plesk.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-4931?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-4931 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-4931 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-4931 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Plesk Installer

- [CVE-2025-66430](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-66430/): Plesk 18.0 has Incorrect Access Control. (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2023-0829](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0829/): Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Plesk (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-45008](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-45008/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-45007](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-45007/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-4931 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-4931 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Plesk Installer, published on 27 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-2023-4931 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Plesk Installer. 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-2023-4931/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4931/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4931
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4931
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-4931

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4931/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.