CVE-2017-6331 in Endpoint Protection
Summary
by MITRE
Prior to SEP 14 RU1 Symantec Endpoint Protection product can encounter an issue of Tamper-Protection Bypass, which is a type of attack that bypasses the real time protection for the application that is run on servers and clients.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6331 represents a critical security flaw in Symantec Endpoint Protection products that affects systems prior to SEP 14 Release Update 1. This vulnerability specifically targets the tamper protection mechanisms that are designed to prevent unauthorized modifications to the security software itself. The flaw allows attackers to bypass real-time protection capabilities that are essential for maintaining system integrity and preventing malicious activities. Such a bypass effectively undermines the core security posture of endpoints protected by Symantec's solution, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on this protection framework. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-377, which addresses insecure temporary file creation, and falls under the broader category of privilege escalation and protection mechanism bypass attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the Symantec Endpoint Protection software that should normally prevent unauthorized access to critical system components. When exploited, the vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the security software's operational parameters without detection, effectively disabling or circumventing the real-time monitoring and protection features. This bypass occurs at a fundamental level within the product's architecture, where proper access controls and integrity checks fail to properly validate system modifications. The flaw particularly impacts server environments where endpoint protection is critical, as it allows adversaries to maintain persistent access while evading detection mechanisms that would normally alert security teams to suspicious activities. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code, modify system configurations, or disable security features without triggering the expected protective responses.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-6331 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete compromise of endpoint security. Organizations running affected Symantec Endpoint Protection versions face significant risk of undetected malware infections, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within their networks. The bypass of real-time protection creates a window of opportunity for attackers to perform reconnaissance, establish persistence, and execute advanced persistent threat activities without the normal detection capabilities that security teams rely upon. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where endpoint protection is considered a primary defense mechanism, potentially allowing attackers to remain undetected for extended periods while maintaining access to critical systems. The impact is compounded by the fact that this vulnerability affects both client and server implementations, creating widespread exposure across enterprise networks that depend on Symantec's protection framework. Security professionals must consider this vulnerability as part of their threat modeling and incident response planning, as it directly undermines the trust model that organizations place in their endpoint protection solutions.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of SEP 14 RU1 or later updates that address this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy must include comprehensive assessment of affected systems and implementation of alternative security controls while patches are deployed. Security teams should implement enhanced monitoring for suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unauthorized modifications to security software configurations. Network segmentation and additional endpoint detection capabilities should be considered as interim measures to reduce risk exposure. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers credential harvesting and privilege escalation, indicates that exploitation efforts may involve multiple attack vectors beyond the direct bypass mechanism. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, file integrity monitoring, and privileged access management to reduce the overall attack surface and limit the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in the future.