CVE-2018-9332 in K7AntiVirus Premium
Summary
by MITRE • 01/12/2021
K7Computing Pvt Ltd K7AntiVirus Premium 15.01.00.53 is affected by: Incorrect Access Control. The impact is: gain privileges (local).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9332 affects K7Computing Pvt Ltd K7AntiVirus Premium version 15.01.00.53 and represents a critical access control flaw that allows local attackers to escalate their privileges within the system. This issue falls under the category of improper access control mechanisms, which is classified as CWE-284 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The vulnerability specifically impacts the privilege management system within the antivirus software, creating a pathway for unauthorized local users to gain elevated system privileges.
The technical flaw manifests in the software's failure to properly validate access permissions during critical operations. When K7AntiVirus Premium executes certain administrative functions, it does not adequately verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary authorization levels. This improper access control implementation allows a local attacker who has already gained user-level access to exploit the software's internal mechanisms and escalate their privileges to administrator or system level. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates entirely within the local system context, meaning no network exposure is required for exploitation, making it an attractive target for attackers who have already compromised a system.
The operational impact of this privilege escalation vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected system. Once escalated to administrative privileges, an attacker can modify system files, install malicious software, create new user accounts, disable security features, and access sensitive data that would normally be protected from standard user access. This vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and separation of duties, as the software fails to maintain proper boundaries between different user roles and system functions. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where multiple users may have access to the same system and where the antivirus software serves as a critical security component.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching and configuration hardening. The primary recommendation is to update to the latest version of K7AntiVirus Premium where the access control flaw has been addressed. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including regular access control reviews, monitoring for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts, and ensuring that the antivirus software runs with minimal required privileges. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and could be detected through behavioral monitoring for unusual administrative activity. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict which components can execute with elevated privileges, and establish robust audit logging to track access control violations and privilege changes within the antivirus software environment.