An attacker who can run commands on the same host can pass an improperly sized argument to the xWPE program. The program copies the argument into a fixed-size buffer without bound checking, allowing the input – a string as long as 262 bytes – to overwrite the stack frame and the instruction pointer. If the attacker includes shellcode after the junk data, the overwritten pointer redirects execution into the payload, giving local arbitrary‑code execution on the host or causing a crash.

Identicalsoftware’s xWPE application, versions 1.5.30a‑2.1 and earlier, is affected by this stack‑based buffer overflow.

Severity is high with a CVSS score of 8.6, indicating that successful exploitation can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack requires local access and a crafted command‑line argument; EPSS data is not available and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, so the precise likelihood of exploitation remains uncertain. Nonetheless, the high score and local execution potential suggest a significant risk.