CVE-2024-54131
Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3)
The Kolide Agent (aka: Launcher) is the lightweight agent designed to work with Kolide's service. An implementation bug in the Kolide Agent (known as launcher) allows for local privilege escalation to the SYSTEM user on Windows 10 and 11. The bug was introduced in version 1.5.3 when launcher started storing upgraded binaries in the ProgramData directory. This move to the new directory meant the launcher root directory inherited default permissions that are not as strict as the previous location. These incorrect default permissions in conjunction with an omitted SystemDrive environmental variable (when launcher starts osqueryd), allows a malicious actor with access to the local Windows device to successfully place an arbitrary DLL into the osqueryd process's search path. Under some circumstances, this DLL will be executed when osqueryd performs a WMI query. This combination of events could then allow the attacker to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM. Impacted versions include versions >= 1.5.3 and the fix has been released in 1.12.3.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
7.3
Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3)
The Kolide Agent (aka: Launcher) is the lightweight agent designed to work with Kolide's service. An implementation bug in the Kolide Agent (known as launcher) allows for local privilege escalation to the SYSTEM user on Windows 10 and 11. The bug was introduced in version 1.5.3 when launcher started storing upgraded binaries in the ProgramData directory. This move to the new directory meant the launcher root directory inherited default permissions that are not as strict as the previous location. These incorrect default permissions in conjunction with an omitted SystemDrive environmental variable (when launcher starts osqueryd), allows a malicious actor with access to the local Windows device to successfully place an arbitrary DLL into the osqueryd process's search path. Under some circumstances, this DLL will be executed when osqueryd performs a WMI query. This combination of events could then allow the attacker to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM. Impacted versions include versions >= 1.5.3 and the fix has been released in 1.12.3.
- Record
CVE-2024-54131- CVSS 4.0
- 7.3 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-276, CWE-456
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2024-3434
7.3
The Kolide Agent (aka: Launcher) is the lightweight agent designed to work with Kolide's service. An implementation bug in the Kolide Agent (known as launcher) allows for local privilege escalation to the SYSTEM user on Windows 10 and 11. The bug was introduced in version 1.5.3 when launcher started storing upgraded binaries in the ProgramData directory. This move to the new directory meant the launcher root directory inherited default permissions that are not as strict as the previous location. These incorrect default permissions in conjunction with an omitted SystemDrive environmental variable (when launcher starts osqueryd), allows a malicious actor with access to the local Windows device to successfully place an arbitrary DLL into the osqueryd process's search path. Under some circumstances, this DLL will be executed when osqueryd performs a WMI query. This combination of events could then allow the attacker to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM. Impacted versions include versions >= 1.5.3 and the fix has been released in 1.12.3.
- Record
EUVD-2024-3434- CVSS 4.0
- 7.3 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5
7.3
Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3)
An implementation bug in the Kolide Agent (known as launcher) allows for local privilege escalation to the SYSTEM user on Windows 10 and 11. Impacted versions include versions >= 1.5.3 and the fix has been released in 1.12.3.
The bug was introduced in version 1.5.3 when launcher started storing upgraded binaries in the ProgramData directory (#1510). This move to the new directory meant the launcher root directory inherited default permissions that are not as strict as the previous location. These incorrect default permissions in conjunction with an omitted SystemDrive environmental variable (when launcher starts osqueryd), allows a malicious actor with access to the local Windows device to successfully place an arbitrary DLL into the osqueryd process's search path. Under some circumstances, this DLL will be executed when osqueryd performs a WMI query. This combination of events could then allow the attacker to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM.
This issue was found by Bryan Alexander of Atredis Partners and responsibly reported through the Kolide bug bounty program. Kolide made the appropriate changes and released a fix in version 1.12.3 of the launcher package.
- Record
GHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5- CVSS 4.0
- 7.3 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-276, CWE-456
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
7.3
The Kolide Agent (aka: Launcher) is the lightweight agent designed to work with Kolide's service. An implementation bug in the Kolide Agent (known as launcher) allows for local privilege escalation to the SYSTEM user on Windows 10 and 11. The bug was introduced in version 1.5.3 when launcher started storing upgraded binaries in the ProgramData directory. This move to the new directory meant the launcher root directory inherited default permissions that are not as strict as the previous location. These incorrect default permissions in conjunction with an omitted SystemDrive environmental variable (when launcher starts osqueryd), allows a malicious actor with access to the local Windows device to successfully place an arbitrary DLL into the osqueryd process's search path. Under some circumstances, this DLL will be executed when osqueryd performs a WMI query. This combination of events could then allow the attacker to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM. Impacted versions include versions >= 1.5.3 and the fix has been released in 1.12.3.
- Record
CVE-2024-54131- CVSS 4.0
- 7.3 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - Weakness
- CWE-276, CWE-456
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
7.3
Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3)
The Kolide Agent (aka: Launcher) is the lightweight agent designed to work with Kolide's service. An implementation bug in the Kolide Agent (known as launcher) allows for local privilege escalation to the SYSTEM user on Windows 10 and 11. The bug was introduced in version 1.5.3 when launcher started storing upgraded binaries in the ProgramData directory. This move to the new directory meant the launcher root directory inherited default permissions that are not as strict as the previous location. These incorrect default permissions in conjunction with an omitted SystemDrive environmental variable (when launcher starts osqueryd), allows a malicious actor with access to the local Windows device to successfully place an arbitrary DLL into the osqueryd process's search path. Under some circumstances, this DLL will be executed when osqueryd performs a WMI query. This combination of events could then allow the attacker to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM. Impacted versions include versions >= 1.5.3 and the fix has been released in 1.12.3.
- Record
CVE-2024-54131- CVSS 4.0
- 7.3 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-276, CWE-456
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5
7.3
Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3)
An implementation bug in the Kolide Agent (known as launcher) allows for local privilege escalation to the SYSTEM user on Windows 10 and 11. Impacted versions include versions >= 1.5.3 and the fix has been released in 1.12.3.
The bug was introduced in version 1.5.3 when launcher started storing upgraded binaries in the ProgramData directory (#1510). This move to the new directory meant the launcher root directory inherited default permissions that are not as strict as the previous location. These incorrect default permissions in conjunction with an omitted SystemDrive environmental variable (when launcher starts osqueryd), allows a malicious actor with access to the local Windows device to successfully place an arbitrary DLL into the osqueryd process's search path. Under some circumstances, this DLL will be executed when osqueryd performs a WMI query. This combination of events could then allow the attacker to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM.
This issue was found by Bryan Alexander of Atredis Partners and responsibly reported through the Kolide bug bounty program. Kolide made the appropriate changes and released a fix in version 1.12.3 of the launcher package.
- Record
GHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5- CVSS 4.0
- 7.3 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-276, CWE-456
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGO-2024-3308 No score
Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3) in github.com/kolide/launcher
Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3) in github.com/kolide/launcher
- Record
GO-2024-3308- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:14567-1 No score
govulncheck-vulndb-0.0.20241209T183251-1.1 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the govulncheck-vulndb-0.0.20241209T183251-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:14567-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
github.com/kolide/launcherGo |
1.5.3 up to 1.12.3 | 1.12.3 |
govulncheck-vulndbopenSUSE:Tumbleweed From an advisory covering 21 CVEs |
before 0.0.20241209T183251-1.1 | 0.0.20241209T183251-1.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, facts | ||
| aliases, 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-2024-54131 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.3) in Kolide Launcher, published December 3, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.21%, the 11th percentile. Fixed in github.com/kolide/launcher 1.12.3.
References
github.com/kolide/launcher/security/advisories/GHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5
github.com/kolide/launcher/pull/1510
github.com/advisories/GHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2024/54xxx/CVE-2024-54131.json
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-54131
github.com/kolide/launcher
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