{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2026-35603", "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M", "dateReserved": "2026-04-03T21:25:12.162Z", "datePublished": "2026-04-17T20:38:49.901Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-04-17T20:38:49.901Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"title": "Claude Code: Insecure System-Wide Configuration Loading Enables Local Privilege Escalation on Windows", "problemTypes": [{"descriptions": [{"cweId": "CWE-426", "lang": "en", "description": "CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path", "type": "CWE"}]}], "metrics": [{"cvssV4_0": {"attackVector": "LOCAL", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackRequirements": "PRESENT", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "userInteraction": "PASSIVE", "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH", "vulnIntegrityImpact": "HIGH", "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH", "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "baseScore": 5.4, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N", "version": "4.0"}}], "references": [{"name": "https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx", "tags": ["x_refsource_CONFIRM"], "url": "https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx"}], "affected": [{"vendor": "anthropics", "product": "claude-code", "versions": [{"version": "< 2.1.75", "status": "affected"}]}], "providerMetadata": {"orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa", "shortName": "GitHub_M", "dateUpdated": "2026-04-17T20:38:49.901Z"}, "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "Claude Code is an agentic coding tool. In versions prior to 2.1.75 on Windows, Claude Code loaded the system-wide default configuration from C:\\ProgramData\\ClaudeCode\\managed-settings.json without validating directory ownership or access permissions. Because the ProgramData directory is writable by non-administrative users by default and the ClaudeCode subdirectory was not pre-created or access-restricted, a low-privileged local user could create this directory and place a malicious configuration file that would be automatically loaded for any user launching Claude Code on the same machine. Exploiting this would have required a shared multi-user Windows system and a victim user to launch Claude Code after the malicious configuration was placed. This issue has been fixed on version 2.1.75."}], "source": {"advisory": "GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx", "discovery": "UNKNOWN"}}}}

{}

{"cveTags": [], "descriptions": [{"lang": "en", "value": "Claude Code is an agentic coding tool. In versions prior to 2.1.75 on Windows, Claude Code loaded the system-wide default configuration from C:\\ProgramData\\ClaudeCode\\managed-settings.json without validating directory ownership or access permissions. Because the ProgramData directory is writable by non-administrative users by default and the ClaudeCode subdirectory was not pre-created or access-restricted, a low-privileged local user could create this directory and place a malicious configuration file that would be automatically loaded for any user launching Claude Code on the same machine. Exploiting this would have required a shared multi-user Windows system and a victim user to launch Claude Code after the malicious configuration was placed. This issue has been fixed on version 2.1.75."}], "id": "CVE-2026-35603", "lastModified": "2026-04-17T21:16:33.507", "metrics": {"cvssMetricV40": [{"cvssData": {"Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED", "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED", "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED", "attackComplexity": "LOW", "attackRequirements": "PRESENT", "attackVector": "LOCAL", "availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "baseScore": 5.4, "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM", "confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED", "integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED", "privilegesRequired": "LOW", "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED", "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE", "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE", "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE", "userInteraction": "PASSIVE", "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED", "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X", "version": "4.0", "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH", "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH", "vulnIntegrityImpact": "HIGH", "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"}, "source": "security-advisories@github.com", "type": "Secondary"}]}, "published": "2026-04-17T21:16:33.507", "references": [{"source": "security-advisories@github.com", "url": "https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-5cwg-9f6j-9jvx"}], "sourceIdentifier": "security-advisories@github.com", "vulnStatus": "Received", "weaknesses": [{"description": [{"lang": "en", "value": "CWE-426"}], "source": "security-advisories@github.com", "type": "Primary"}]}

{}

{"affected": [{"configurations": [{"platform": null, "status": "affected", "versions": {"scheme": "semver", "value": "[0,2.1.75)"}}], "enrichment": {"confidence": 100.0, "confidence_source": "matching", "scores": [{"score": 100.0, "source": "matching"}]}, "original": {"product": "claude-code", "source": "cna", "vendor": "anthropics"}, "product": "claude_code", "vendor": "anthropics"}], "analysis": {"en": {"generated_at": "2026-04-18T08:58:51.803118+00:00", "value": {"mitigation_remediation": ["Upgrade Claude Code to version 2.1.75 or later, which corrects the insecure configuration loading behavior.", "Configure Windows permissions so that C:\\ProgramData\\ClaudeCode is writable only by administrators, preventing standard users from creating or modifying the managed-settings.json file.", "Remove any existing managed-settings.json files from the directory and audit the file and parent directory for unexpected contents after the upgrade to ensure no residual malicious configurations remain."], "summary": {"action": "Apply Patch", "impact": "Local Privilege Escalation"}, "threat_synthesis": {"affected_systems": "Anthropic\u2019s Claude Code running on Windows machines with a shared multi\u2011user environment. Versions prior to 2.1.75 are vulnerable; the issue has been fixed starting with 2.1.75. The vulnerability stems from the default path C:\\ProgramData\\ClaudeCode, which exists or may be created by non\u2011administrative users.", "description_and_impact": "Claude Code versions earlier than 2.1.75 on Windows automatically load a system\u2011wide configuration file from C:\\ProgramData\\ClaudeCode\\managed-settings.json without verifying the owner or permissions of the directory or file. This flaw, mapped to CWE\u2011426, allows a local user with standard privileges to add or replace that configuration file. When a victim subsequently launches Claude Code, the malicious configuration file is automatically parsed, which can grant the attacker elevated privileges or enable further exploitation within the application. The vulnerability can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the local system for the affected account.", "risk_and_exploitability": "The CVSS score of 5.4 indicates moderate severity. EPSS data is not available, so the current likelihood of exploitation is unclear, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The most likely attack scenario requires a user who shares a Windows machine and can write to the ProgramData directory to drop a crafted configuration file. The victim user must then launch Claude Code after the malicious file is in place. This chain of events suggests that exploitation is feasible on a shared workstation or workstation with multiple local accounts."}}}}, "created": "2026-04-17T23:00:12.395566+00:00", "updated": "2026-04-18T09:00:05.904045+00:00", "vendors": ["anthropics", "anthropics$PRODUCT$claude_code"]}