CVE-2018-6290 in Secure Mail Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Local Privilege Escalation in Kaspersky Secure Mail Gateway version 1.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6290 represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within Kaspersky Secure Mail Gateway version 1.1, exposing organizations to significant security risks. This issue stems from inadequate privilege management and access control mechanisms within the email security gateway software, creating opportunities for malicious actors to elevate their system privileges from standard user level to administrative or root access. The vulnerability specifically affects the mail gateway's handling of certain system processes and file operations that should be restricted to privileged users only. Security researchers have identified that the flaw allows unauthorized local users to manipulate system resources through improper privilege checking mechanisms, potentially enabling them to execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a design flaw in how the Kaspersky Secure Mail Gateway manages process execution and file access controls during routine operations. The system fails to properly validate user privileges when processing certain email-related functions, particularly those involving temporary file creation or system service manipulation. This weakness creates a path for privilege escalation through exploitation of the gateway's internal process management. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-276, which addresses improper privilege management in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through local exploitation. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting specific input or manipulating system files to trigger the vulnerable code path, ultimately gaining unauthorized administrative access to the mail gateway system.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-6290 extends beyond immediate privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of email infrastructure protected by the affected Kaspersky Secure Mail Gateway. Organizations using this software face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive email communications, and complete system compromise. The vulnerability's local nature means that attackers must first gain access to a system running the vulnerable software, but once achieved, the privilege escalation allows for complete control over email processing functions, including access to encrypted email content, modification of email filtering rules, and potential lateral movement within the network. This represents a severe threat to email security and data protection, particularly in enterprise environments where the mail gateway serves as a critical security control point. The flaw undermines the trust model of the security solution itself, as it allows attackers to bypass the very protections that the software is designed to provide.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6290 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Kaspersky, as the vendor has released updates addressing this specific privilege escalation vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit local access to mail gateway systems and enforce strict access controls on administrative accounts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive system audits to identify any potential exploitation attempts and monitor for unusual privilege elevation events. The implementation of principle of least privilege should be enforced, ensuring that local user accounts have minimal necessary permissions. Additionally, organizations should consider deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing local privilege escalation scenarios. Regular security assessments of email security infrastructure should include vulnerability scanning for similar privilege management flaws, and system hardening practices should be implemented to reduce attack surface. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper privilege management in security software, as compromised administrative access can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized data access.