CVE-2018-10962 in Security Guard
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Shanghai 2345 Security Guard 3.7.0. 2345MPCSafe.exe, 2345SafeTray.exe, and 2345Speedup.exe allow local users to bypass intended process protections, and consequently terminate processes, because mouse_event is not properly considered.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2020
This vulnerability exists within the Shanghai 2345 Security Guard 3.7.0 security suite, specifically affecting three key executables including 2345MPCSafe.exe, 2345SafeTray.exe, and 2345Speedup.exe. The flaw represents a critical weakness in the software's process protection mechanisms that allows local attackers to circumvent intended security controls. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of the mouse_event function within the application's process management routines, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the security model designed to protect system processes from unauthorized termination.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the failure to properly validate or consider mouse_event inputs when managing process protection states. This oversight creates a path where local users can manipulate the application's behavior to bypass established process protection boundaries. The mouse_event function typically handles user input events, but in this context, it appears to be leveraged inappropriately within the security suite's process management logic. This misconfiguration allows attackers to craft specific input sequences that effectively disable or circumvent the protection mechanisms intended to prevent unauthorized process termination.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to system integrity and security posture. Local users can exploit this weakness to terminate critical processes that should remain protected from unauthorized intervention, potentially leading to system instability or security compromise. The ability to bypass process protections undermines the fundamental security model of the security suite itself, creating a potential attack vector where malicious actors could target system processes or legitimate security tools. This creates a dangerous situation where the security software becomes vulnerable to manipulation by local users who understand the exploitation technique.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a specific implementation flaw where process protection mechanisms fail to properly enforce access restrictions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and process injection, as local users can leverage the bypass to gain elevated control over system processes. The exploitation scenario demonstrates how security software can inadvertently create attack surfaces that allow local users to manipulate their own system state, potentially leading to more sophisticated attacks that could compromise the broader security infrastructure.
Effective mitigation strategies should focus on updating the affected security suite to versions that properly implement process protection mechanisms and correctly handle mouse_event inputs. System administrators should implement least privilege principles and monitor for unauthorized process termination events. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other security tools and applications that may exhibit similar process protection flaws. The remediation approach should include code review processes that specifically examine how input handling functions interact with security-critical system operations to prevent similar issues from emerging in future implementations.