CVE-2018-18367 in Endpoint Protection Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) prior to and including 12.1 RU6 MP9 and prior to 14.2 RU1 may be susceptible to a DLL Preloading vulnerability, which is a type of issue that can occur when an application looks to call a DLL for execution and an attacker provides a malicious DLL to use instead.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18367 affects Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager versions prior to 12.1 RU6 MP9 and all versions prior to 14.2 RU1, representing a critical DLL preloading flaw that exposes systems to potential code execution attacks. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of dynamic link library loading sequences within the SEPM application, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate the execution flow by injecting unauthorized code modules. The flaw specifically manifests when the application attempts to load required DLL components without implementing proper security measures to validate the source and integrity of the loaded modules, making it susceptible to manipulation through directory traversal techniques or strategic placement of malicious files in expected load paths. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-426, which categorizes insecure loading of dynamic libraries as a fundamental weakness in software design that allows attackers to bypass authentication or authorization mechanisms through code injection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the Windows DLL loading behavior where applications search for required libraries in a specific order including the current working directory, potentially allowing attackers to place malicious DLL files in locations that will be loaded before legitimate system libraries. Attackers can leverage this by placing specially crafted DLL files in directories that the SEPM application will traverse during its execution process, thereby achieving privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution within the context of the running application. This type of attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be executed without requiring elevated privileges initially, as the application itself performs the loading action, and the malicious DLL can then execute with the same privileges as the legitimate application. The vulnerability operates under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, demonstrating how a seemingly minor flaw in library loading can create significant security implications.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-18367 extends beyond immediate code execution capabilities to encompass broader system compromise scenarios that can result in complete network infiltration when SEPM is used in enterprise environments. Organizations relying on Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager for security operations face potential data breaches, lateral movement attacks, and persistent threats as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish footholds within protected networks. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be automated through various attack frameworks, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise enterprise security infrastructure. Additionally, the affected SEPM versions may be deployed across multiple network segments, amplifying the potential impact of a successful exploitation attempt. The vulnerability can be particularly devastating in environments where SEPM serves as a central security management platform, as compromise of this system can result in widespread visibility and control over the entire security infrastructure, potentially enabling attackers to disable security measures or manipulate threat detection capabilities. Organizations should consider implementing immediate mitigations including application whitelisting, directory permissions hardening, and network segmentation to prevent exploitation attempts while planning for proper patch deployment to address the root cause of the vulnerability.