CVE-2023-1314: Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in cloudflared's Installer
Summary
CVE-2023-1314: cloudflared's Installer has Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. Affects github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared versions < 0.0.0-20230313153246-f686da832f85. Fixed in 0.0.0-20230313153246-f686da832f85. How to fix ↓
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Background
cloudflared is a Go-based client for Cloudflare's Argo Tunnel. It allows users to securely expose their locally hosted services to the internet by creating an encrypted tunnel between the client and Cloudflare's network. The installer for cloudflared on 32-bit Windows devices (<= 2023.3.0) is vulnerable to a local privilege escalation attack. This vulnerability arises from the use of a world-writable directory by the MSI installer, which can be exploited by a local attacker without administrative permissions.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in cloudflared's installer allows an attacker with local access to the device (without Administrator rights) to manipulate the MSI installer's repair functionality using symbolic links. By creating a symlink from the world-writable directory to a target file, the attacker can trick the installer into deleting files in locations they would not otherwise have access to. This can lead to the deletion or replacement of important system files, potentially compromising the affected device. It is important to note that the cloudflared client itself is not affected by this vulnerability, only the installer for 32-bit Windows devices.
How To Fix
Latest published version: v0.0.0-20261022222307-ee83189f8507 as of 23 Oct 2026
go get github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared@v0.0.0-20261022222307-ee83189f8507Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you need the minimum change
0.0.0-20230313153246-f686da832f85
This is the first release that contains the fix.
go get github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared@v0.0.0-20230313153246-f686da832f85Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Conclusion
The local privilege escalation vulnerability in cloudflared's installer for 32-bit Windows devices has the potential to compromise affected devices by allowing attackers to delete or replace important system files. Users should update to the latest version of cloudflared (>= 2023.3.1) and remove old installers to mitigate the risk. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared →
FAQ
The vulnerability allows a local attacker without administrative permissions to escalate their privileges on the affected device. By manipulating the MSI installer's repair functionality, the attacker can delete or replace important system files, potentially compromising the device.
Only users of cloudflared's installer on 32-bit Windows devices (<= 2023.3.0) are affected. The cloudflared client itself is not vulnerable.
To mitigate the risk, users should update to the latest version of cloudflared (>= 2023.3.1) and remove any old installers from their systems.
No, there are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. Updating to the latest version of cloudflared is the recommended solution.
More information about the vulnerability can be found in the Cloudflared Releases page on GitHub: https://github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/releases
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared.
