# CVE-2026-44469: CODESYS Development System privilege escalation via TOCTOU race condition

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44469-codesys-development-system-privilege-escalation-via-toctou-race  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-26. Updated: 2026-05-26  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-44469 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-05-26

The CODESYS Development System, used for programming industrial controllers, contains a security flaw in its installation process. When an administrator installs software packages, the system creates temporary folders with weak security settings. This allows a person with limited access to the computer to swap legitimate installation files with malicious ones, potentially gaining full administrative control over the workstation.

Vendors: [CODESYS](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/codesys).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-44469 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44469 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-44469?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 26 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** CODESYS Development System < 3.5.22.20.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44469?** A patch was published on 2026-05-26: Fixed in version 3.5.22.20 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-44469 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-44469?** Check whether you run CODESYS Development System at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The CODESYS Development System (specifically the PackageManager and IPM components) suffers from an incorrect default permission vulnerability (CWE-276) during the installation of packages or add-ons. When running with administrative privileges, the software extracts installation files into a temporary directory that is accessible to low-privileged local users. An attacker can exploit a Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) race condition to replace digitally verified files with malicious payloads after verification but before the final installation step. This allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated administrative privileges. The issue is resolved in version 3.5.22.20.

## Affected products

- CODESYS Development System < 3.5.22.20

## Timeline

- 2026-05-26: disclosed
- 2026-05-26: advisory
- 2026-05-26: patched: Fixed in version 3.5.22.20

## References

- [https://www.certvde.com/en/advisories/VDE-2026-055/](https://www.certvde.com/en/advisories/VDE-2026-055/)

## Related threats

- [CODESYS Development System privilege escalation via insecure permissions](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44468-codesys-development-system-privilege-escalation-via-insecure)