CVE-2018-15491 in Anti-Logger
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the permission and encryption implementation of Zemana Anti-Logger 1.9.3.527 and prior (fixed in 1.9.3.602) allows an attacker to take control of the whitelisting feature (MyRules2.ini under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Zemana\ZALSDK) to permit execution of unauthorized applications (such as ones that record keystrokes).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15491 resides within the Zemana Anti-Logger software ecosystem, specifically affecting versions 1.9.3.527 and earlier. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's permission and encryption mechanisms, fundamentally undermining the software's core security posture. The vulnerability manifests through improper handling of file permissions and encryption protocols that govern the whitelisting functionality, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors to subvert the intended security controls.
The technical implementation flaw centers on the insecure management of the MyRules2.ini configuration file located within the %LOCALAPPDATA%\Zemana\ZALSDK directory structure. This file serves as the primary mechanism for defining which applications are permitted to execute within the Zemana Anti-Logger environment, effectively acting as a whitelist control system. The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate this file through insufficient access controls and weak encryption implementations, enabling them to modify the whitelisting rules without proper authentication or authorization. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a failure in implementing proper file system permissions and cryptographic protection mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, creating a severe threat vector that can be exploited to establish persistent malicious presence on compromised systems. Attackers can leverage this flaw to permit execution of unauthorized applications, including keystroke loggers and other malicious software that would normally be blocked by the anti-logger protection. This capability directly compromises the software's primary security objective of preventing malicious applications from executing, effectively neutralizing the protection mechanisms that users rely upon. The vulnerability creates a persistent backdoor that can be maintained across system reboots and software updates, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where such protection is critical.
The security implications align with CWE-276, which addresses improper file permissions and inadequate access control mechanisms. Additionally, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1112, which covers modification of system images and the manipulation of security tools. The flaw demonstrates a failure in implementing proper input validation and access control checks that should prevent unauthorized modification of critical security configuration files. Organizations utilizing Zemana Anti-Logger in environments where security is paramount face significant risk, as this vulnerability essentially allows attackers to bypass the very protection mechanisms that the software was designed to provide. The remediation requires updating to version 1.9.3.602 or later, which addresses the permission and encryption implementation weaknesses through proper file access controls and strengthened cryptographic protection of sensitive configuration files. Security practitioners should prioritize patching this vulnerability in affected systems and monitor for potential exploitation attempts that may leverage this weakness to establish unauthorized execution capabilities.