CVE-2024-29188
Malicious directory junction can cause WiX RemoveFoldersEx to possibly delete elevated files
WiX toolset lets developers create installers for Windows Installer, the Windows installation engine. The custom action behind WiX's RemoveFolderEx functionality could allow a standard user to delete protected directories. RemoveFolderEx deletes an entire directory tree during installation or uninstallation. It does so by recursing every subdirectory starting at a specified directory and adding each subdirectory to the list of directories Windows Installer should delete. If the setup author instructed RemoveFolderEx to delete a per-user folder from a per-machine installer, an attacker could create a directory junction in that per-user folder pointing to a per-machine, protected directory. Windows Installer, when executing the per-machine installer after approval by an administrator, would delete the target of the directory junction. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.14.1 and 4.0.5.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
7.8
Malicious directory junction can cause WiX RemoveFoldersEx to possibly delete elevated files
WiX toolset lets developers create installers for Windows Installer, the Windows installation engine. The custom action behind WiX's RemoveFolderEx functionality could allow a standard user to delete protected directories. RemoveFolderEx deletes an entire directory tree during installation or uninstallation. It does so by recursing every subdirectory starting at a specified directory and adding each subdirectory to the list of directories Windows Installer should delete. If the setup author instructed RemoveFolderEx to delete a per-user folder from a per-machine installer, an attacker could create a directory junction in that per-user folder pointing to a per-machine, protected directory. Windows Installer, when executing the per-machine installer after approval by an administrator, would delete the target of the directory junction. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.14.1 and 4.0.5.
- Record
CVE-2024-29188- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2024-0956
7.8
WiX toolset lets developers create installers for Windows Installer, the Windows installation engine. The custom action behind WiX's RemoveFolderEx functionality could allow a standard user to delete protected directories. RemoveFolderEx deletes an entire directory tree during installation or uninstallation. It does so by recursing every subdirectory starting at a specified directory and adding each subdirectory to the list of directories Windows Installer should delete. If the setup author instructed RemoveFolderEx to delete a per-user folder from a per-machine installer, an attacker could create a directory junction in that per-user folder pointing to a per-machine, protected directory. Windows Installer, when executing the per-machine installer after approval by an administrator, would delete the target of the directory junction. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.14.1 and 4.0.5.
- Record
EUVD-2024-0956- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-jx4p-m4wm-vvjg
7.9
Malicious directory junction can cause WiX RemoveFoldersEx to possibly delete elevated files
Summary
The custom action behind WiX's RemoveFolderEx functionality could allow a standard user to delete protected directories.
Details
RemoveFolderEx deletes an entire directory tree during installation or uninstallation. It does so by recursing every subdirectory starting at a specified directory and adding each subdirectory to the list of directories Windows Installer should delete. If the setup author instructed RemoveFolderEx to delete a per-user folder from a per-machine installer, an attacker could create a directory junction in that per-user folder pointing to a per-machine, protected directory. Windows Installer, when executing the per-machine installer after approval by an administrator, would delete the target of the directory junction.
- Record
GHSA-jx4p-m4wm-vvjg- CVSS 3.1
- 7.9 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
7.9
WiX toolset lets developers create installers for Windows Installer, the Windows installation engine. The custom action behind WiX's RemoveFolderEx functionality could allow a standard user to delete protected directories. RemoveFolderEx deletes an entire directory tree during installation or uninstallation. It does so by recursing every subdirectory starting at a specified directory and adding each subdirectory to the list of directories Windows Installer should delete. If the setup author instructed RemoveFolderEx to delete a per-user folder from a per-machine installer, an attacker could create a directory junction in that per-user folder pointing to a per-machine, protected directory. Windows Installer, when executing the per-machine installer after approval by an administrator, would delete the target of the directory junction. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.14.1 and 4.0.5.
- Record
CVE-2024-29188- CVSS 3.1
- 7.9 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
7.9
Malicious directory junction can cause WiX RemoveFoldersEx to possibly delete elevated files
WiX toolset lets developers create installers for Windows Installer, the Windows installation engine. The custom action behind WiX's RemoveFolderEx functionality could allow a standard user to delete protected directories. RemoveFolderEx deletes an entire directory tree during installation or uninstallation. It does so by recursing every subdirectory starting at a specified directory and adding each subdirectory to the list of directories Windows Installer should delete. If the setup author instructed RemoveFolderEx to delete a per-user folder from a per-machine installer, an attacker could create a directory junction in that per-user folder pointing to a per-machine, protected directory. Windows Installer, when executing the per-machine installer after approval by an administrator, would delete the target of the directory junction. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.14.1 and 4.0.5.
- Record
CVE-2024-29188- CVSS 3.1
- 7.9 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-jx4p-m4wm-vvjg
7.9
Malicious directory junction can cause WiX RemoveFoldersEx to possibly delete elevated files
Summary
The custom action behind WiX's RemoveFolderEx functionality could allow a standard user to delete protected directories.
Details
RemoveFolderEx deletes an entire directory tree during installation or uninstallation. It does so by recursing every subdirectory starting at a specified directory and adding each subdirectory to the list of directories Windows Installer should delete. If the setup author instructed RemoveFolderEx to delete a per-user folder from a per-machine installer, an attacker could create a directory junction in that per-user folder pointing to a per-machine, protected directory. Windows Installer, when executing the per-machine installer after approval by an administrator, would delete the target of the directory junction.
- Record
GHSA-jx4p-m4wm-vvjg- CVSS 3.1
- 7.9 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
wixNuGet |
before 3.14.1 | 3.14.1 |
wixNuGet |
4.0.0 up to 4.0.5 | 4.0.5 |
WixToolset.Util.wixextNuGet |
before 4.0.5 | 4.0.5 |
wixNuGet |
before 3.14.1, plus listed versions 3.10.03.10.0.1719-pre3.10.0.1726-pre3.10.0.2103-pre3.10.0.2103-pre1 Show 23 moreShow less3.10.13.10.23.10.33.10.43.11.03.11.0.1507-rc3.11.0.1528-rc23.11.0.321-pre3.11.0.504-pre3.11.0.906-pre3.11.13.11.23.14.03.6.03.6.0.13.7.03.7.0.13.8.03.8.0.13.9.03.9.0.13.9.23.9.2.1 |
3.14.1 |
wixNuGet |
4.0.0 up to 4.0.5, plus listed versions 4.0.0.2926-pre4.0.0.3226-pre4.0.0.3922-pre4.0.0.4506-pre4.0.0.5512-pre Show 4 moreShow less4.0.14.0.24.0.34.0.4 |
4.0.5 |
WixToolset.Util.wixextNuGet |
before 4.0.5, plus listed versions 4.0.04.0.14.0.24.0.34.0.4 |
4.0.5 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, products, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2024-29188 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Haxtheweb Issues, published March 24, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.24%, the 15th percentile. Fixed in wix 3.14.1.
References
github.com/wixtoolset/issues/security/advisories/GHSA-jx4p-m4wm-vvjg
github.com/wixtoolset/wix/commit/2e5960b575881567a8807e6b8b9c513138b19742
github.com/wixtoolset/wix3/commit/93eeb5f6835776694021f66d4226c262c67d487a
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-29188
github.com/advisories/GHSA-jx4p-m4wm-vvjg
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2024/29xxx/CVE-2024-29188.json
github.com/wixtoolset/issues