dbcve.org
DisplaylinkApplication · Synaptics

CVE-2023-4936

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.2 or later.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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
It is possible to sideload a compromised DLL during the installation at elevated privilege.

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

This is a DLL sideloading vulnerability in an application's installer. During the installation process, which runs with elevated (administrator) privileges, the installer loads DLL files from locations where an attacker could place a malicious DLL. When the compromised DLL is loaded, it executes with the same elevated privileges as the installer, allowing privilege escalation and potential code execution.

MitigationEnsure the installer uses absolute paths for all DLL loading operations and remove the current directory from the DLL search path. Verify all DLLs are loaded from trusted, secure locations and consider digitally signing the installer.

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
DisplaylinkApplication
Affected:< 11.2

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
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/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 Synaptics DisplayLink software is installed
    Check for DisplayLink installation in Windows Programs and Features, or search for DisplayLink-related executables and DLLs in Program Files directories (typically C:\Program Files\DisplayLink or C:\Program Files\Synaptics\DisplayLink).
    Affected if DisplayLink software is present on the system
  2. Determine installed DisplayLink version
    Open Windows Programs and Features, locate the DisplayLink entry, and note the version number displayed. Alternatively, right-click the DisplayLink installer executable, select Properties, and check the Details tab for version information.
    Affected if version number cannot be located or the software is found without a clear version
  3. Compare version against vulnerable threshold
    Compare the installed version to the affected range. The vulnerability affects versions prior to 11.2. Document the exact version number found.
    Affected if installed version is below 11.2 (for example, 11.1, 10.x, or any version number less than 11.2)

If Synaptics DisplayLink software is installed and the installed version is below 11.2, the environment is affected by CVE-2023-4936.

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 11.2 or later
Fixed in 11.2
Interim mitigation

Ensure the installer uses absolute paths for all DLL loading operations and remove the current directory from the DLL search path. Verify all DLLs are loaded from trusted, secure locations and consider digitally signing the installer.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Displaylink version 11.2 or later

  1. Navigate to the official Synaptics website (www.synaptics.com) and locate the Displaylink download section
  2. Download Displaylink version 11.2 or later - ensure you are getting the latest available version
  3. Verify the downloaded installer file integrity if verification options are available
  4. Run the Displaylink installer with standard user privileges (the installer will request elevation when needed)
  5. Follow the on-screen installation prompts to complete the installation
  6. Restart your computer if prompted to do so
  7. After restart, verify the installed Displaylink version is 11.2 or higher

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

Fix this in Displaylink Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-4936 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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