# CVE-2024-9495: Uncontrolled search path can lead to DLL hijacking in CP210x VCP Windows installer

> An attacker can execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges via DLL hijacking in the CP210x VCP Windows installer due to an uncontrolled search path.

- **Severity:** High 8.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 27 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pfqg-fqgc-5rc8

## What is CVE-2024-9495?

CVE-2024-9495 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in silabs.com CP210x VCP Windows, published on 24 Jan 2025. 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

DLL hijacking vulnerabilities, caused by an uncontrolled search path in the CP210x VCP Windows 

 installer can lead to privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution when running the impacted installer.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-9495?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-9495?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-9495 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-9495 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-9495 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-9495 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-9495 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in silabs.com CP210x VCP Windows, published on 24 Jan 2025. 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-2024-9495 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: silabs.com CP210x VCP 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-2024-9495/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9495/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-9495
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-9495
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-9495

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9495/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.