CVE-2024-51448
IBM Robotic Process Automation privilege escalation
IBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.0 through 21.0.7.17 and 23.0.0 through 23.0.18 could allow a local user to escalate their privileges. All files in the install inherit the file permissions of the parent directory and therefore a non-privileged user can substitute any executable for the nssm.exe service. A subsequent service or server restart will then run that binary with administrator privilege.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
IBM Robotic Process Automation privilege escalation
IBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.0 through 21.0.7.17 and 23.0.0 through 23.0.18 could allow a local user to escalate their privileges. All files in the install inherit the file permissions of the parent directory and therefore a non-privileged user can substitute any executable for the nssm.exe service. A subsequent service or server restart will then run that binary with administrator privilege.
- Record
CVE-2024-51448- CVSS 3.1
- 6.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-277
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2024-45798
IBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.0 through 21.0.7.17 and 23.0.0 through 23.0.18 could allow a local user to escalate their privileges. All files in the install inherit the file permissions of the parent directory and therefore a non-privileged user can substitute any executable for the nssm.exe service. A subsequent service or server restart will then run that binary with administrator privilege.
- Record
EUVD-2024-45798- CVSS 3.1
- 6.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-6pxp-6h5g-5389
IBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.0 through 21.0.7.17 and 23.0.0 through 23.0.18 could allow a...
IBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.0 through 21.0.7.17 and 23.0.0 through 23.0.18 could allow a local user to escalate their privileges. All files in the install inherit the file permissions of the parent directory and therefore a non-privileged user can substitute any executable for the nssm.exe service. A subsequent service or server restart will then run that binary with administrator privilege.
- Record
GHSA-6pxp-6h5g-5389- CVSS 3.1
- 6.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-277, CWE-732
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
IBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.0 through 21.0.7.17 and 23.0.0 through 23.0.18 could allow a local user to escalate their privileges. All files in the install inherit the file permissions of the parent directory and therefore a non-privileged user can substitute any executable for the nssm.exe service. A subsequent service or server restart will then run that binary with administrator privilege.
- Record
CVE-2024-51448- CVSS 3.1
- 6.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-277, CWE-732
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2024-51448 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.7) in Ibm Robotic Process Automation, published January 18, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.15%, the 4th percentile. No source names a fixed version.