CVE-2004-1624 in Carbon Copy
Summary
by MITRE
Carbon Copy 6.0.5257 does not drop system privileges when opening external programs through the help topic interface, which allows local users to gain privileges via (1) the help topic interface in CCW32.exe, which launches Notepad, or (2) the help button in the Carbon Copy Scheduler (CCSched.exe).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2017
This vulnerability exists in Carbon Copy version 6.0.5257 where the application fails to properly drop system privileges when executing external programs through its help interface components. The flaw manifests in two primary attack vectors involving the help topic interface within CCW32.exe which launches Notepad, and through the help button functionality within the Carbon Copy Scheduler application CCSched.exe. The root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper privilege management within the application's execution flow, specifically the failure to downgrade elevated privileges before invoking external processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the principle of privilege escalation through process execution pathways. When users interact with help features in either CCW32.exe or CCSched.exe, the applications maintain their elevated system privileges while spawning external executables. This behavior creates an attack surface where local users can leverage these help interfaces to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-276, which addresses improper privilege management, and represents a classic case of privilege creep where unnecessary elevated permissions persist during external process execution.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables local users to potentially execute malicious code with system-level privileges, effectively bypassing standard security controls. Attackers could exploit this weakness by crafting malicious help topics or by manipulating the help system to launch malicious executables through the vulnerable interfaces. The implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation as this vulnerability can serve as a foothold for more sophisticated attacks, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages legitimate application functionality rather than requiring exploitation of separate vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper privilege separation mechanisms within the application's help system components. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all external process launches through help interfaces occur with reduced privileges, specifically dropping elevated permissions before executing external programs. Organizations should implement application whitelisting controls to prevent unauthorized execution of malicious payloads through these interfaces. Additionally, regular security audits should verify that privilege management is properly implemented across all application components, particularly those with elevated access rights. This vulnerability underscores the importance of following the principle of least privilege and demonstrates how seemingly benign application features can become security attack vectors when proper privilege management is not enforced. The remediation approach should align with ATT&CK technique T1068, which addresses privilege escalation through application execution, by ensuring that all external program invocations maintain appropriate privilege boundaries.