# CVE-2026-57223: Suricata windows: unquoted LocalSystem service ImagePath can allow local privilege escalation

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to LocalSystem if Suricata is installed in a path with spaces and earlier components are writable.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 22 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-57223, GHSA-jh8w-wf3f-58jp, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-57223

## What is CVE-2026-57223?

CVE-2026-57223 is a high-severity vulnerability in Oisf Suricata, published on 18 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Suricata is a network Intrusion Detection System, Intrusion Prevention System and Network Security Monitoring engine. Prior to 7.0.17 and 8.0.6, the Windows service installation and parameter-update logic in src/win32-service.c can pass an unquoted service ImagePath to CreateServiceA. When Suricata is installed below a path containing spaces and an earlier path component is writable by a local low-privileged attacker, Windows can execute an attacker-controlled program as LocalSystem, resulting in local privilege escalation. This issue is fixed in versions 8.0.6 and 7.0.17.

Weakness: CWE-428 (Unquoted Search Path or Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-57223?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Oisf Suricata.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-57223?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-57223 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-57223 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Oisf Suricata

- [CVE-2023-35853](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35853/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-37592](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-37592/): Other in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-10244](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-10244/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-94083](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-94083/): Memory corruption in Suricata (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2026-94084](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-94084/): Use after free in Suricata (critical 9.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-57223 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-57223 is a high-severity vulnerability in Oisf Suricata, published on 18 Sep 2026. 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-2026-57223 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Oisf Suricata. 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-2026-57223/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-57223/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-57223
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-57223
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-57223

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-57223/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.