Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3)

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS 4.0

7.3 · 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 · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2024-54131: 0.21% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 11.14 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

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…

Published by the source

3 Dec 2024, 20:56 UTC

Last modified by the source

3 Dec 2024, 20:56 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:08 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5

Preview the exact text before you copy it. Commands are read-only suggestions; review them before running anything.

# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2024-54131

Advisory: Kolide Agent Privilege Escalation (Windows, Versions >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3)
IDs: CVE-2024-54131, GHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2024-54131 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:08 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: github.com/kolide/launcher 1.12.3. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/kolide/launcher: affected >= 1.5.3, < 1.12.3; fixed in 1.12.3

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/kolide/launcher: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on github.com/kolide/launcher.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-66q9-2rvx-qfj5 lists affected ranges: Go github.com/kolide/launcher >=1.5.3 <1.12.3)

Commands are suggestions: review each one before running it.