CVE-2017-16551 in K7
Summary
by MITRE
K7 Antivirus Premium before 15.1.0.53 allows local users to gain privileges by sending a specific IOCTL after setting the memory in a particular way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2019
This vulnerability resides in K7 Antivirus Premium version 15.1.0.53 and earlier, representing a local privilege escalation flaw that exploits a specific IOCTL (Input/Output Control) mechanism within the antivirus software's kernel drivers. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the driver components that process IOCTL requests, creating a path for local attackers to elevate their privileges from standard user level to SYSTEM level. The flaw specifically manifests when an attacker manipulates memory regions in a particular manner before sending the targeted IOCTL, effectively bypassing the normal access controls that should prevent unauthorized privilege elevation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of a driver-level interface that accepts IOCTL commands without adequate validation of input parameters or memory state. According to CWE-121, this represents a classic stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability where the attacker can manipulate memory layout to achieve arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level where the antivirus driver maintains elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous as it allows a local user to leverage the driver's privileged access to perform actions that should be restricted to system administrators or the operating system itself. The specific memory manipulation technique required to trigger this vulnerability involves crafting memory regions in a way that allows the IOCTL handler to read or write data at privileged memory locations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly impacts organizations that deploy K7 Antivirus Premium, as it provides a straightforward path for attackers to gain SYSTEM-level access on compromised systems. The local privilege escalation capability means that an attacker who has already gained user-level access to a system can exploit this vulnerability to elevate their privileges without requiring additional attack vectors or complex exploitation techniques. This makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors as it reduces the complexity of achieving full system compromise. The impact extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially enable lateral movement within networks, as attackers with SYSTEM privileges can access protected system resources, modify critical files, and establish persistence mechanisms. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and specifically addresses the exploitation of kernel vulnerabilities for privilege elevation.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include immediate patching of K7 Antivirus Premium to version 15.1.0.53 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to address the IOCTL handling and memory management issues. Organizations should also implement the principle of least privilege by ensuring that antivirus software runs with minimal required privileges and that driver components are properly configured to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious IOCTL activity and memory manipulation patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. System administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as driver signature enforcement, kernel-mode code integrity checks, and regular security assessments of antivirus software components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in kernel drivers and highlights the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security software to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing process monitoring and behavioral analysis to detect anomalous activities that may indicate exploitation attempts targeting similar kernel-level vulnerabilities.