CVE-2019-18979 in Adaware
Summary
by MITRE
Adaware antivirus 12.6.1005.11662 and 12.7.1055.0 has a quarantine flaw that allows privilege escalation. Exploitation uses an NTFS directory junction to restore a malicious DLL from quarantine into the system32 folder.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-18979 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Adaware antivirus software versions 12.6.1005.11662 and 12.7.1055.0. This security weakness stems from improper handling of quarantined files during the restoration process, creating an exploitable condition that allows attackers to elevate their privileges from standard user level to system level. The flaw specifically manifests when the antivirus software attempts to restore malicious components from quarantine, enabling unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges.
The technical exploitation mechanism leverages NTFS directory junctions as a sophisticated attack vector to bypass security controls. An attacker creates a directory junction that points to the system32 directory, then manipulates the quarantine restoration process to place a malicious dynamic link library file into this targeted location. This technique exploits the inherent trust relationships within the Windows file system and antivirus quarantine mechanisms, allowing malicious code to be placed in a location where it can execute with system privileges. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-264 as "Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls" and demonstrates a classic case of privilege escalation through improper file system access control.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to enterprise environments where Adaware antivirus is deployed, as it allows attackers to gain system-level access without requiring authentication or physical access to the target system. The attack requires minimal user interaction beyond the initial exploitation phase, making it particularly dangerous in automated attack scenarios. Once successfully exploited, the malicious DLL can perform various malicious activities including credential theft, persistence establishment, and further system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Local Privilege Escalation" and specifically targets the Windows privilege escalation attack path.
The impact extends beyond individual system compromise to potential network-wide infiltration, as the elevated privileges gained through this exploit enable attackers to move laterally across networks and access sensitive data. Organizations running these vulnerable versions of Adaware antivirus face significant risk of data breaches and system compromise, particularly in environments where standard users have access to systems that may be targeted. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper quarantine file handling and access control mechanisms in security software, as inadequate implementation can create attack vectors that undermine the very protection the software is designed to provide. Mitigation efforts should include immediate patching of affected versions, implementation of additional access controls, and monitoring for suspicious file system activities in system32 directories.