CVE-2018-3974 in Galaxy
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable local privilege elevation vulnerability exists in the file system permissions of GOG Galaxy's install directory. An attacker can overwrite an executable that is launched as a system service on boot by default to exploit this vulnerability and execute arbitrary code with system privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-3974 represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within the GOG Galaxy gaming platform installation directory. This issue stems from inadequate file system permission controls that allow unauthorized users to modify critical system components. The vulnerability specifically affects the installation directory structure where GOG Galaxy stores executable files that are automatically launched as system services during the boot process. When these system services execute with elevated privileges, any modifications to the underlying executables can be leveraged by attackers to gain complete system control.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves a classic race condition and permission misconfiguration attack pattern. The flaw occurs because GOG Galaxy's installation process creates files with insufficiently restrictive permissions that allow standard user accounts to modify executables which are subsequently executed with system privileges. This represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates poor security hygiene in the application's installation and service management processes. The vulnerability is classified as a local privilege escalation issue where the attacker does not require network access or remote exploitation capabilities, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may have local access to systems.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant security risk for any system running GOG Galaxy where users might have local login access. The exploit allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistence mechanisms. The attack vector is straightforward once an attacker gains local access, as they can simply overwrite the targeted executable file with malicious code. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where gaming platforms might be installed on workstations, as it provides a pathway for attackers to escalate their privileges from regular user accounts to administrative levels. The issue affects systems where GOG Galaxy is installed with default settings that create system services without proper access controls.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3974 should focus on implementing proper file system permissions and access controls to prevent unauthorized modifications to system service executables. Organizations should ensure that all executables launched by system services are protected with appropriate permissions that prevent modification by non-privileged users. The recommended approach includes setting restrictive file permissions on installation directories and executables, implementing proper access control lists, and ensuring that system services are configured to run with minimal required privileges. Additionally, security best practices suggest monitoring for unauthorized file modifications in critical system directories and implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for critical resources, and represents a common pattern seen in ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through service privilege escalation. Organizations should also consider applying the latest security patches from GOG Galaxy and implementing comprehensive endpoint protection solutions that can detect and prevent such exploitation attempts.