CVE-2018-16183 in Panasonic
Summary
by MITRE
An unquoted search path vulnerability in some pre-installed applications on Panasonic PC run on Windows 7 (32bit), Windows 7 (64bit), Windows 8 (64bit), Windows 8.1 (64bit), Windows 10 (64bit) delivered in or later than October 2009 allow local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse executable file and execute arbitrary code with eleveted privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2020
This vulnerability represents a classic unquoted search path weakness that exists in pre-installed Panasonic PC applications running on multiple Windows operating systems including Windows 7, 8, and 10. The flaw occurs when an application's executable path contains spaces and lacks proper quotation marks around the path string, creating an exploitable condition where the system searches for executables in predictable locations. The vulnerability specifically affects systems with pre-installed Panasonic applications that were delivered on or after October 2009, making it a legacy issue that persists in many enterprise environments. According to CWE-178, this vulnerability falls under the category of insecure default configurations where the system's search path resolution mechanism is improperly implemented, allowing attackers to place malicious executables in directories that are searched before the legitimate application location. The attack vector involves placing a Trojan horse executable file in a directory that appears earlier in the Windows search path, which then gets executed with elevated privileges due to the application's elevated permissions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the Windows executable search order mechanism where the system searches for executables in the following order: the directory from which the application originated, followed by the system directory, then the Windows directory, and finally directories listed in the PATH environment variable. When an application's installation path contains spaces and is not properly quoted, Windows treats each directory component as a separate entity during the search process. This creates a scenario where an attacker can place a malicious executable in a directory such as C:\Program Files\SomeApp\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\SomeApp\ and the system will execute it instead of the legitimate application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows local users to escalate privileges from standard user level to administrator level, as the pre-installed Panasonic applications typically run with elevated privileges. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as privilege escalation through 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' under technique T1068, where adversaries leverage poorly configured search paths to execute malicious code with higher privileges than originally intended.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to represent a significant security risk in enterprise environments where multiple users may have local access to affected systems. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Panasonic PC models and Windows versions, making it a widespread issue that organizations must address through comprehensive patch management and system hardening procedures. The persistence of this vulnerability in systems delivered as early as October 2009 indicates that many organizations may still be running affected software without proper updates, creating ongoing exposure to attackers. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal effort to exploit and can be automated through various attack frameworks. The combination of the unquoted search path flaw with the elevated privileges of pre-installed applications creates a perfect storm for privilege escalation attacks, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access to affected systems and perform further malicious activities such as data exfiltration or lateral movement within the network. Organizations should implement strict application whitelisting policies and ensure that all application paths are properly quoted to prevent this class of vulnerability from being exploited in their environments.