Claude Code: Insecure System-Wide Configuration Loading Enables Local Privilege Escalation on Windows
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- Passive
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-426.
Summary
Claude Code is an agentic coding tool. In versions prior to 2.1.75 on Windows, Claude Code loaded the system-wide default configuration from C:\ProgramData\ClaudeCode\managed-settings.json without validating directory ownership or access permissions. Because the ProgramData directory is writable by non-administrative users by default and the ClaudeCode subdirectory was not pre-created or access-restricted, a low-privileged local user could create this directory and place a malicious configuration file that would be automatically loaded for any user launching Claude Code on the same machine. Exploiting this would have required a shared multi-user Windows system and a victim user to launch Claude Code after the malicious configuration was placed. This issue has been fixed on version 2.1.75.
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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| anthropics | claude-code | before 2.1.75 | 2.1.75 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | @anthropic-ai/claude-code (npm) | before 2.1.75 | 2.1.75 | Patch available | GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx |
- claude-code Vendoranthropics Affected before 2.1.75 Fixed in 2.1.75 Patch available CNA
- @anthropic-ai/claude-code (npm) Vendor— Affected before 2.1.75 Fixed in 2.1.75 Patch available GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx
CPE configurations NVD · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:anthropic:claude_code:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:* | before 2.1.75 | Vulnerable | anthropics |
| cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Microsoft |
- cpe:2.3:a:anthropic:claude_code:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions before 2.1.75 Vulnerable ·anthropics
- cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Microsoft
Remediation
- Fix · CNA claude-code (anthropics) Fixed in 2.1.75
- Fix · GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx @anthropic-ai/claude-code (npm) Fixed in 2.1.75 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-35603
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx
References
More anthropics Claude Code vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-40558 Claude Code Command Validation Bypass Allows Arbitrary Code Execution CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2025-36683 Claude Code vulnerable to arbitrary code execution caused by maliciously configured git email CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2025-37066 Claude Code's startup trust dialog could lead to Command Execution attack CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-17554 Claude Code Leaks Data via Malicious Environment Configuration Before Trust Confirmation CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 5.3
- TI-2025-40093 @anthropic-ai/claude-code has Sed Command Validation Bypass that Allows Arbitrary File Writes CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2025-36422 Claude Code rg command had Command Injection that allowed bypass of user approval prompt for command execution CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
Sources
- CVE-2026-35603 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-35603 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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