CVE-2026-4869
Received Received - Intake

Privilege Escalation in InstallShield via Insecure Prerequisite Loading

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-13

Assigner: Flexera Software LLC

Description
A potential privilege escalation issue was identified in InstallShield version 2025 R2 and earlier when running compressed Basic MSI setup with Prerequisites from an insecure location. If a local administrator launches a compressed Setup.exe with Prerequisites from an unsecured location, the Prerequisite installers also might load from an unsecured location, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-13
Last Modified
2026-10-13
Generated
2026-10-13
AI Q&A
2026-10-13
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-4869
EUVD
EUVD-2026-98744

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
Flexera InstallShield 0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-426 The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a privilege escalation issue in InstallShield version 2025 R2 and earlier. It occurs when a local administrator runs a compressed Basic MSI setup with Prerequisites from an insecure location. The Prerequisite installers may also load from the same unsecured location, allowing potential privilege escalation.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires checking if InstallShield 2025 R2 or earlier is installed and verifying if compressed Setup.exe with Prerequisites is running from an insecure location. Review installed software and file paths used during installation.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system. This might enable unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of malicious software, or further compromise of the system.

Mitigation Strategies

Update InstallShield to the latest version beyond 2025 R2. Ensure Setup.exe and Prerequisites are only executed from secure, trusted locations. Restrict write permissions to directories where InstallShield files are stored.

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