CVE-2026-13268 G DATA Total Security Backup Service Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Local attackers can escalate privileges to SYSTEM by exploiting a symbolic link vulnerability in the Backup Service of G DATA Total Security.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-13268?
CVE-2026-13268 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in G DATA Total Security, published on 29 Jul 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
G DATA Total Security Backup Service Link Following Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of G DATA Total Security. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.
The specific flaw exists within the Backup Service. By creating a symbolic link, an attacker can abuse the service to delete a file. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-28665.
Weakness: CWE-59
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-13268?
How do I fix CVE-2026-13268?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-13268 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-13268 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-13268 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-9pwf-w3g3-jg2x.