CVE-2007-4380 in Altiris Deployment Solution
Summary
by MITRE
Aclient in Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution 6 before 6.8 SP2 (6.8.378) allows local users to gain local System privileges via the Log File Viewer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4380 resides within Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution version 6 prior to 6.8 SP2, specifically affecting version 6.8.378. This flaw represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that enables local attackers to elevate their privileges to system level access through the Log File Viewer component. The issue stems from inadequate access controls and privilege management within the client application, creating an exploitable path for local users to gain elevated system privileges without proper authentication or authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the Log File Viewer functionality within the Altiris client software, which operates with elevated privileges during log file processing. When local users interact with this component, the system fails to properly validate the user context or enforce proper privilege boundaries. This design flaw allows malicious local users to manipulate the log file viewing process to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects the client-side component of the deployment solution, which typically runs with higher privileges than standard user applications to perform system-level operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted within enterprise environments that utilize Symantec Altiris Deployment Solution. Local users who can access the affected client application can exploit this weakness to gain complete system control, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or further lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of the deployment solution, as it allows unauthorized privilege escalation without requiring network access or external attack vectors. Organizations relying on this software for system deployment and management face significant risk of system compromise, particularly in environments where local user access is not strictly controlled or monitored.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which describes improper privilege management, and reflects the broader category of privilege escalation flaws that have been consistently identified in enterprise software solutions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1068, privilege escalation, and potentially T1543, create or modify system process, as the exploitation requires modification of system processes or execution of privileged code. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that local access is typically considered a lower risk vector, yet this vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly benign client applications can become critical attack entry points when proper privilege boundaries are not enforced.
Organizations should immediately implement the available patch from Symantec, which addresses this privilege escalation vulnerability in version 6.8 SP2 of the Altiris Deployment Solution. The patch corrects the access control mechanisms within the Log File Viewer component to ensure proper privilege validation and enforcement. Additionally, system administrators should implement monitoring for unauthorized access to the Altiris client components and consider restricting local user access to systems running this software. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments of enterprise deployment tools are essential to identify similar privilege escalation flaws that could compromise system integrity and availability.