Executable Hijacking
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-427.
Summary
An Executable Hijacking condition exists in the Qualys Cloud Agent for Windows platform in versions before 4.5.3.1. Attackers may load a malicious copy of a Dependency Link Library (DLL) via a local attack vector instead of the DLL that the application was expecting, when processes are running with escalated privileges. This vulnerability is bounded only to the time of uninstallation and can only be exploited locally. At the time of this disclosure, versions before 4.0 are classified as End of Life.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Cloud Agent (Qualys) Fixed in 4.5.3.1
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Qualys Cloud Agent 4.5.3.1
2 records Highest priority Priority LOW 2 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2023-12715 Race condition in Qualys Cloud AgentPriority LOW 32
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-28140
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-p9j6-7r4q-r5hg
References
More Qualys Cloud Agent vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-12716 Local privilege escalation in Qualys Cloud Agent CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.0
- TI-2023-12715 Race condition in Qualys Cloud Agent CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.0
- TI-2023-12714 NTFS Junction CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.7
- TI-2022-12004 An issue was discovered in Qualys Cloud Agent 4.8.0-49. CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.5
Sources
- CVE-2023-28140 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-28140 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-p9j6-7r4q-r5hg · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences