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Uncontrolled Search Path (DLL Hijack)Weakness · CWE-427

CVE-2024-32938

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
Uncontrolled search path for some Intel(R) MPI Library for Windows software before version 2021.13 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local access.

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 · high confidence

Intel MPI Library for Windows before version 2021.13 contains an uncontrolled search path vulnerability that allows an authenticated local user to place malicious DLLs in the library's search path, potentially achieving privilege escalation by causing the library to load attacker-controlled code.

MitigationUpdate Intel MPI Library to version 2021.13 or later, which contains the fix for the uncontrolled search path issue.

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

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 Intel MPI Library is installed
    Check for the presence of Intel MPI Library installation directory, typically under C:\Program Files\Intel\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\, or look for 'Intel MPI' in Windows Programs and Features.
    Affected if Intel MPI Library for Windows is found on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Locate the Intel MPI Library version information. Common locations include the installation directory, version.txt file, or check the file properties of the main MPI executable (impiexec.exe or mpiexec.exe) in the installation folder.
    Affected if Unable to determine version or version is below 2021.13
  3. Compare version to affected range
    Verify the installed version number against the affected range. The vulnerability affects all versions before 2021.13. If the version can be determined, ensure it is 2021.13 or later.
    Affected if Installed version is earlier than 2021.13
  4. Assess DLL search path accessibility
    Examine the Intel MPI Library installation directory and its subdirectories for write access by non-privileged users. The vulnerability allows authenticated local users to place malicious DLLs in the library's search path.
    Affected if The installation directory or any directory in the library's DLL search path is writable by standard user accounts

A system is affected if Intel MPI Library for Windows is installed with a version earlier than 2021.13 and the library's directory is writable by non-privileged users.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Intel MPI Library to version 2021.13 or later, which contains the fix for the uncontrolled search path issue.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

2021.13 or later

  1. Identify the current Intel MPI Library for Windows version installed on the system
  2. Download Intel MPI Library version 2021.13 or later from the official Intel Download Center or your Intel account
  3. Backup any existing MPI applications, scripts, and configuration files
  4. Uninstall the existing Intel MPI Library version via Windows Control Panel or the existing installer
  5. Install the new version (2021.13 or later) using the downloaded installer
  6. Verify the installed version is 2021.13 or later using the mpi_version utility or documentation
  7. Test MPI applications to confirm functionality with the updated library
Caveat Review Intel MPI Library release notes for API or compatibility changes between your current version and 2021.13 before upgrading

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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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-2024-32938 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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