CVE-2026-22561 Privilege escalation in Claude Desktop - Windows
Local attackers can escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code by planting malicious DLLs in the Claude Desktop installer directory.
- 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
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-22561?
CVE-2026-22561 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Anthropic Claude Desktop - Windows, published on 31 Mar 2026. 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 elements in Anthropic Claude for Windows installer (Claude Setup.exe) versions prior to 1.1.3363 allow local privilege escalation via DLL search-order hijacking. The installer loads DLLs (e.g., profapi.dll) from its own directory after UAC elevation, enabling arbitrary code execution if a malicious DLL is planted alongside the installer.
Weakness: CWE-427
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-22561?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Anthropic Claude.
How do I fix CVE-2026-22561?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-22561 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-22561 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-22561 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-3c2p-6j48-gmm4.