CVE-2016-5249 in Solution Center
Summary
by MITRE
Lenovo Solution Center (LSC) before 3.3.003 allows local users to execute arbitrary code with LocalSystem privileges via vectors involving the LSC.Services.SystemService StartProxy command with a named pipe created in advance and crafted .NET assembly.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5249 affects Lenovo Solution Center (LSC) versions prior to 3.3.003, representing a critical local privilege escalation flaw that enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with LocalSystem privileges. This vulnerability resides within the LSC.Services.SystemService component and specifically involves the StartProxy command functionality that handles named pipe communications. The flaw manifests when a malicious actor creates a pre-established named pipe and crafts a specially designed .NET assembly that gets executed through the vulnerable service interface, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries and elevating privileges to the highest system level.
The technical exploitation mechanism leverages a combination of insecure named pipe handling and improper input validation within the Lenovo Solution Center service. When the StartProxy command processes a crafted named pipe request, it fails to properly validate the .NET assembly content or the pipe connection parameters, allowing an attacker to inject malicious code that executes with LocalSystem privileges. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where a local user can leverage a service running with elevated permissions to gain system-level control. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-78 and CWE-20 categories, specifically addressing command injection and input validation flaws that enable arbitrary code execution through service interfaces. The attack vector demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves local privilege escalation through service exploitation and T1059, covering execution through .NET assemblies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides complete system compromise capabilities to local attackers. Once exploited, the attacker gains unrestricted access to system resources, can modify or delete critical files, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistence mechanisms. The vulnerability affects all systems running Lenovo Solution Center versions below 3.3.003, which were commonly deployed in enterprise environments where the service runs with elevated privileges. The attack requires local system access but does not necessitate network connectivity, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from within the target system without external network exposure. Organizations running affected versions face significant risk of unauthorized system compromise, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the service is present.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment to update Lenovo Solution Center to version 3.3.003 or later, which addresses the named pipe validation and input sanitization issues. System administrators should also implement least privilege principles by reviewing and restricting the permissions of the LSC.Services.SystemService, ensuring it only operates with minimal required privileges. Additional protective measures include monitoring for unusual named pipe activity and .NET assembly loading patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and endpoint detection capabilities should be enhanced to identify potential exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should verify that no unauthorized modifications exist in the LSC service configuration or installed components. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure coding practices for system services and proper input validation, particularly when handling inter-process communication mechanisms such as named pipes and assembly loading operations.