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.
History

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Anthropic
Anthropic claude Code
Microsoft
Microsoft windows
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:anthropic:claude_code:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Anthropic
Anthropic claude Code
Microsoft
Microsoft windows
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}


Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Anthropics
Anthropics claude Code
Vendors & Products Anthropics
Anthropics claude Code

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description 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.
Title Claude Code: Insecure System-Wide Configuration Loading Enables Local Privilege Escalation on Windows
Weaknesses CWE-426
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 5.4, 'vector': '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'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published: 2026-04-17T20:38:49.901Z

Updated: 2026-04-20T14:57:47.669Z

Reserved: 2026-04-03T21:25:12.162Z

Link: CVE-2026-35603

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-04-20T14:52:28.455Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-04-17T21:16:33.507

Modified: 2026-04-22T18:45:11.723

Link: CVE-2026-35603

cve-icon Redhat

No data.