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Metadefender KioskApplication · Opswat

CVE-2023-36657

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.6.1.9996 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An issue was discovered in OPSWAT MetaDefender KIOSK 4.6.1.9996. Built-in features of Windows (desktop shortcuts, narrator) can be abused for privilege escalation.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

OPSWAT MetaDefender KIOSK 4.6.1.9996 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability where Windows built-in accessibility features (specifically desktop shortcuts and Narrator) can be abused to escape kiosk restrictions and gain elevated Windows privileges. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute code with higher privileges than intended by the kiosk lockdown.

MitigationRestrict access to Windows accessibility features (Narrator, Sticky Keys, etc.) and disable or control desktop shortcut functionality through Windows Group Policy or kiosk lockdown software configuration.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Metadefender KioskApplication
Affected:>= 4.5.0, <= 4.6.1.9996

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify MetaDefender Kiosk version
    Check the installed version of MetaDefender Kiosk by looking in Add/Remove Programs, the program's About/Help menu, or the installation directory for version information. Compare against the affected range: 4.5.0 through 4.6.1.9996.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 4.5.0 to 4.6.1.9996 inclusive.
  2. Confirm kiosk lockdown mode is active
    Determine whether the system is configured in kiosk lockdown mode that restricts user access to only the MetaDefender Kiosk application. Check the kiosk software configuration or Group Policy settings that define the lockdown profile.
    Affected if The system is running in kiosk lockdown mode with MetaDefender Kiosk as the primary interface.
  3. Check if Narrator accessibility feature is accessible
    Test whether the Narrator screen reader can be launched from the kiosk interface by pressing Win+Ctrl+Enter or through other trigger methods. Verify if Windows accessibility features are allowed to run.
    Affected if Narrator or other Windows accessibility features can be activated from the kiosk session without being blocked by lockdown policies.
  4. Check desktop shortcut accessibility
    Verify if users can access, create, or modify desktop shortcuts from the kiosk environment. Look for the presence of desktop shortcut files in the user profile or public desktop directories.
    Affected if Desktop shortcuts are visible or accessible from the kiosk session and can be manipulated to launch arbitrary programs.
  5. Verify accessibility feature lockdown policies
    Review Windows Group Policy settings under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Accessibility to confirm whether accessibility features are disabled or restricted. Also check kiosk-specific lockdown software policies.
    Affected if Accessibility features (Narrator, Sticky Keys, etc.) are not restricted via Group Policy or kiosk lockdown software, or the restrictions can be bypassed.

A user is affected if MetaDefender Kiosk version 4.5.0 through 4.6.1.9996 is installed in kiosk lockdown mode and Windows accessibility features or desktop shortcuts are accessible from the kiosk session.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.6.1.9996
Interim mitigation

Restrict access to Windows accessibility features (Narrator, Sticky Keys, etc.) and disable or control desktop shortcut functionality through Windows Group Policy or kiosk lockdown software configuration.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

MetaDefender Kiosk version > 4.6.1.9996 (contact OPSWAT for the exact latest stable release)

  1. 1. Identify the current installed version of MetaDefender Kiosk by checking the application or system information.
  2. 2. Navigate to the official OPSWAT support portal or documentation at docs.opswat.com to obtain the latest stable release.
  3. 3. Download the latest version of MetaDefender Kiosk (version higher than 4.6.1.9996) from the official source.
  4. 4. Before upgrading, backup any existing configurations and data according to your organization's backup procedures.
  5. 5. Install the updated version following the vendor's installation guidelines.
  6. 6. After installation, verify that the Windows built-in feature abuse vectors (desktop shortcuts, narrator) no longer allow privilege escalation.
  7. 7. Test that all expected kiosk functionality operates correctly with the new version.
Caveat Review release notes for any configuration or feature changes between your current version and the new version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Metadefender Kiosk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-36657 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data