CVE-2014-4973 in Endpoint Security
Summary
by MITRE
The ESET Personal Firewall NDIS filter (EpFwNdis.sys) driver in the Firewall Module Build 1183 (20140214) and earlier in ESET Smart Security and ESET Endpoint Security products 5.0 through 7.0 allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted argument to a 0x830020CC IOCTL call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-4973 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the ESET Personal Firewall NDIS filter driver component. This issue affects multiple versions of ESET Smart Security and ESET Endpoint Security products, specifically those with Firewall Module Build 1183 and earlier versions. The vulnerability exists in the EpFwNdis.sys driver file which operates at the kernel level, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by local attackers to elevate their privileges from standard user level to system level access. The flaw manifests through improper input validation within the driver's handling of IOCTL (Input/Output Control) operations, specifically targeting the 0x830020CC command.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a local user crafts a malicious argument and submits it through the 0x830020CC IOCTL call to the vulnerable driver. This particular IOCTL number indicates that the driver is processing a custom command that likely involves network filtering or firewall management operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied parameters, allowing an attacker to manipulate the driver's behavior and potentially execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges. This type of flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which deals with stack-based buffer overflows, though the specific mechanism involves improper input validation rather than traditional buffer overflow conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables local privilege escalation attacks that can be leveraged by malicious actors who have already gained access to a system. Once successfully exploited, the attacker gains complete control over the system, allowing them to install malware, modify system files, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability affects a broad range of ESET products including versions 5.0 through 7.0 of both ESET Smart Security and ESET Endpoint Security, making it particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of these security solutions. This creates a scenario where the very security software designed to protect systems becomes a vector for privilege escalation attacks.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation tactic, specifically targeting the use of kernel exploits and driver-based attacks. The attack chain typically involves local user access followed by driver exploitation to achieve system-level privileges. Organizations using affected ESET products should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor's security patches, disabling unnecessary firewall features, and monitoring for suspicious IOCTL activity. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation in kernel-mode drivers and demonstrates the critical need for security reviews of device drivers that operate with elevated privileges. Network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and logging of driver interactions to detect potential exploitation attempts, while security teams should prioritize patching affected systems to prevent exploitation. The incident underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security software and the importance of vulnerability management programs to address such critical flaws before they can be exploited by threat actors.