CVE-2018-20146 in ProfileUnity
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Liquidware ProfileUnity before 6.8.0 with Liquidware FlexApp before 6.8.0. A local user could obtain administrator rights, as demonstrated by use of PowerShell.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2023
This vulnerability exists in Liquidware ProfileUnity and Liquidware FlexApp versions prior to 6.8.0, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that allows local attackers to gain administrative privileges on affected systems. The issue stems from insufficient access controls and privilege validation mechanisms within the software components, creating an avenue for malicious users to elevate their system access from standard user level to administrator level. The vulnerability specifically manifests through PowerShell execution, indicating that the attack vector leverages PowerShell's capabilities to manipulate system permissions or exploit existing administrative functions within the ProfileUnity and FlexApp frameworks.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges and access control issues, and potentially CWE-78, concerning command injection vulnerabilities. Attackers can exploit this weakness by executing PowerShell commands that either directly manipulate system permissions or leverage existing administrative functions that should be restricted to privileged users only. The vulnerability's exploitation process likely involves identifying and utilizing legitimate administrative PowerShell cmdlets or scripts that are accessible to standard users but should require elevated privileges to execute properly. This type of privilege escalation represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege enforcement within the software architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows local attackers to gain complete administrative control over systems running affected versions of Liquidware ProfileUnity and FlexApp. Once escalated to administrator privileges, attackers can modify system configurations, install malicious software, access sensitive data, and potentially compromise the entire system infrastructure. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where ProfileUnity and FlexApp are commonly used for application virtualization and user profile management, as it could enable attackers to gain persistent access to critical business systems and data repositories.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching to versions 6.8.0 or later where the privilege escalation vulnerability has been addressed. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including PowerShell execution policy restrictions, mandatory access controls, and monitoring of administrative PowerShell activities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically T1068, which involves exploiting weaknesses in the system to gain elevated privileges. Security teams should also consider implementing least privilege principles for PowerShell execution, regular security audits of administrative functions, and comprehensive logging of all PowerShell activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, network segmentation and user access controls should be reviewed to minimize the potential impact of successful exploitation.