Summary
PanelSwWix4.Sdk .be TEMP folder is vulnerable to DLL redirection attacks that allow the attacker to escalate privileges
.be TEMP folder is vulnerable to DLL redirection attacks that allow the attacker to escalate privileges.
Details
If the bundle is not run as admin, the user's TEMP folder is used and not the system TEMP folder. A utility is able to monitor the user's TEMP folder for changes and drop its own DLL into the .be/.Local folder immediately when the .be folder is created. When the burn engine elevates, the malicious DLL receives elevated privileges.
PoC
As a standard, non-admin user:
- Monitor the user's TEMP folder for changes using ReadDirectoryChangesW
- On FILE_ACTION_ADDED, check if the folder name is .be
- Create a folder in .be named after the bundle + .Local (e.g. MyInstaller.exe.Local)
- Put the malicious COMCTL32.DLL in the .Local folder following the naming used for the real DLL (e.g. MyInstaller.exe.Local/x86_microsoft.windows.common-controls_.../COMCTL32.dll)
- Do hacker things when the engine escalates and the malicious DLL is loaded
Proper naming for the path can be obtained by using GetModuleHandle("comctl32.dll") and GetModuleFileName.
Impact
DLL redirection utilizing .exe.Local Windows capability. This impacts any installer built with the WiX installer framework.
GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (High). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (5.0.0-psw-wix.0251-40); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5? GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5 is a high-severity security vulnerability in PanelSwWix4.Sdk (nuget), affecting versions < 5.0.0-psw-wix.0251-40. It is fixed in 5.0.0-psw-wix.0251-40.
- How severe is GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5? GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of PanelSwWix4.Sdk are affected by GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5? PanelSwWix4.Sdk (nuget) versions < 5.0.0-psw-wix.0251-40 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5? Yes. GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5 is fixed in 5.0.0-psw-wix.0251-40. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-8V28-3G86-CHJ5? Upgrade
PanelSwWix4.Sdkto 5.0.0-psw-wix.0251-40 or later.