CVE-2016-5248 in Solution Center
Summary
by MITRE
The StopProxy command in LSC.Services.SystemService in Lenovo Solution Center before 3.3.003 allows local users to terminate arbitrary process via the PID argument.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5248 resides within the Lenovo Solution Center software ecosystem, specifically within the LSC.Services.SystemService component that handles system-level operations. This flaw manifests as a command injection vulnerability in the StopProxy functionality, which is designed to manage proxy services within the Lenovo Solution Center framework. The vulnerability affects versions prior to 3.3.003, indicating that Lenovo had not yet addressed this security weakness in their software distribution. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the StopProxy command implementation, allowing malicious local users to exploit the system through crafted process identifier arguments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the PID argument in the StopProxy command, which is intended to terminate specific proxy processes. However, due to inadequate validation mechanisms, an attacker can provide arbitrary process identifiers that the system will attempt to terminate without proper authorization checks. This creates a privilege escalation scenario where local users can potentially terminate critical system processes or processes belonging to other applications, leading to system instability or unauthorized service disruption. The vulnerability represents a classic case of improper input validation where user-supplied data is directly processed without sufficient sanitization, enabling arbitrary command execution within the context of the system service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple process termination, as it can potentially compromise system integrity and availability. Local users who can access the Lenovo Solution Center interface or associated services can leverage this flaw to disrupt normal system operations by terminating critical processes, including those related to security services, network management, or system monitoring functions. This capability can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Lenovo Solution Center is deployed across multiple systems, as it could enable attackers to create denial-of-service conditions or disable important system functionalities. The vulnerability also presents a risk for privilege escalation attacks, as the ability to terminate arbitrary processes may allow attackers to target services running with elevated privileges, potentially leading to further system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate software updates to version 3.3.003 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the input validation issues. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as restricting local access to the Lenovo Solution Center services and monitoring for unusual process termination activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-88 categories related to command injection and improper input validation, while also mapping to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and process manipulation. Security administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of all systems running affected versions of Lenovo Solution Center and ensure proper access controls are implemented to limit local user privileges and prevent unauthorized process termination activities that could compromise system stability and security.