A vulnerability in Cisco Packet Tracer for Windows could allow an authenticated, local attacker to perform a DLL injection attack on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials on the Windows system. This vulnerability is due to incorrect handling of directory paths at run time. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by inserting a configuration file in a specific path on the system, which can cause a malicious DLL file to be loaded when the application starts. A successful exploit could allow an attacker with normal user privileges to execute arbitrary code on the affected system with the privileges of another user’s account.
The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors.