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CVE-2024-29188

Malicious directory junction can cause WiX RemoveFoldersEx to possibly delete elevated files

7.8 HighFix available

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

0.24%Up 0.2 points since Mar 25, 2024
90%50%10%1%

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 HighCVSS: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 HighCVSS: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 HighCVSS: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 HighCVSS: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 HighCVSS: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 HighCVSS: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

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
wix
NuGet
before 3.14.1
3.14.1
wix
NuGet
4.0.0 up to 4.0.5
4.0.5
WixToolset.Util.wixext
NuGet
before 4.0.5
4.0.5
wix
NuGet
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 less
3.10.13.10.23.10.33.10.43.11.03.11.0.1507-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
wix
NuGet
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 less
4.0.14.0.24.0.34.0.4
4.0.5
WixToolset.Util.wixext
NuGet
before 4.0.5, plus listed versions
4.0.04.0.14.0.24.0.34.0.4
4.0.5

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliases, products, publishedEUVD
first indexedCVE 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

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