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CVE-2023-38146· NVD / CVE Program· CNA microsoft

Windows Themes Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.1—Weaponized No fix recorded
Published
Sep 12, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
37.4% · 98th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

46

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
11 / 30 · 37.4%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · microsoft
8.8
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Affected systems

VendorProduct
microsoftwindows 11 21h2
microsoftwindows 11 22h2

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • microsoft windows 11 21h2before 10.0.22000.2416
  • microsoft windows 11 22h2before 10.0.22621.2275

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (microsoft). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Microsoft Windows 11 version 21H2

    • 10.0.0 and later · before 10.0.22000.2416affected

  • Microsoft Windows 11 version 22H2

    • 10.0.22621.0 and later · before 10.0.22621.2283affected

Same product

microsoft: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2024-38080Windows Hyper-V Elevation of Privilege VulnerabilityKEV
    63This week
  • CVE-2024-38148Windows Secure Channel Denial of Service Vulnerability
    40Plan
  • CVE-2023-23392HTTP Protocol Stack Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
    40Plan
  • CVE-2024-38259Microsoft Management Console Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2024-43533Remote Desktop Client Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2023-35634Windows Bluetooth Driver Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
    35Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×1
  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×4

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Metasploit moduleexploit/windows/fileformat/theme_dll_hijack_cve_2023_38146Themebleed- Windows 11 Themes Arbitrary Code Execution CVE-2023-38146exploit2023-09-13
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:2062023-09-13
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:272023-10-13
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:22023-12-12
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02026-07-12

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Published
  2. First PoCsame day
  3. Metasploitsame day
  4. TodaySep 29, 2026+1113 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-367 · Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help

Change log

No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records