CVE-2017-16552 in K7
Summary
by MITRE
K7 Antivirus Premium before 15.1.0.53 allows local users to write to arbitrary memory locations, and consequently gain privileges, via a specific set of IOCTL calls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2019
This vulnerability exists within K7 Antivirus Premium software version 15.1.0.53 and earlier, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that enables local attackers to manipulate memory contents through improper input validation. The vulnerability stems from the kernel-mode driver component that handles IOCTL (Input/Output Control) requests without adequate bounds checking or privilege validation, creating a pathway for malicious code execution. The flaw specifically manifests when the driver processes certain IOCTL commands that should only be accessible to privileged system processes, but instead accepts and executes requests from unprivileged user-mode applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the driver's failure to validate the size and content of data structures passed through IOCTL interfaces, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that overwrite memory locations with arbitrary values. This memory corruption occurs at the kernel level where the privilege separation between user and kernel mode is bypassed, enabling the execution of code with system-level privileges. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are commonly exploited in privilege escalation attacks. The attack vector requires local system access and leverages the inherent trust placed in legitimate driver interfaces to execute malicious code with elevated privileges.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise environments where K7 Antivirus is deployed, as it allows any local user to potentially escalate their privileges to SYSTEM level. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential data exfiltration, system persistence mechanisms, and further lateral movement within compromised networks. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to install backdoors, modify system files, or establish persistent access to target systems without requiring additional authentication or network access. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," and T1059, which covers "Command and Scripting Interpreter," as the compromised system could be used to execute additional malicious commands with elevated privileges.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of the vendor-provided patch version 15.1.0.53 or later, which implements proper input validation and privilege checking for IOCTL operations. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including regular patch management processes, monitoring for unusual IOCTL activity patterns, and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. System administrators should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected versions and implement process monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of kernel-mode driver security and highlights the need for robust input validation and privilege separation mechanisms in security software to prevent attackers from leveraging legitimate system interfaces for malicious purposes.