CVE-2018-8725 in K7AntiVirus Premium
Summary
by MITRE • 01/12/2021
K7Computing Pvt Ltd K7AntiVirus Premium 15.01.00.53 is affected by: Buffer Overflow. The impact is: execute arbitrary code (local). The component is: K7TSMngr.exe.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8725 affects K7Computing Pvt Ltd K7AntiVirus Premium version 15.01.00.53 and represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the K7TSMngr.exe component. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 buffer overflow category, where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to write data beyond the allocated buffer space. The flaw specifically manifests in the K7TSMngr.exe process which serves as a system management utility for the antivirus software, making it a prime target for local privilege escalation attacks.
The technical exploitation of this buffer overflow vulnerability enables an attacker with local system access to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the K7TSMngr.exe process. Since this component typically runs with elevated permissions due to its system management role, successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly validate input data before copying it into fixed-size buffers, allowing malicious input to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data structures. This creates a pathway for attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the context of the running antivirus service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple local code execution as it represents a significant security weakness in endpoint protection software. Antivirus systems are designed to be trusted components within the security infrastructure, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking to establish persistent access or escalate privileges. The local execution requirement means that an attacker must first gain access to the system through other means, but once achieved, they can leverage this vulnerability to bypass traditional security controls. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploits, and T1059 which encompasses execution through system processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-8725 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected K7AntiVirus Premium version, as K7Computing has likely released updates to address this specific buffer overflow condition. System administrators should implement additional security controls such as application whitelisting to restrict execution of untrusted binaries, and monitor for unusual activity from the K7TSMngr.exe process. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify other potential buffer overflow vulnerabilities in system management components, as these types of flaws often indicate broader code quality issues that may affect other parts of the software ecosystem. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation in security software components that operate with elevated privileges.