CVE-2019-25764 in AURA SYNC
Summary
by MITRE • 07/17/2026
**UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED** Exposed IOCTL with Insufficient Access Control in the ASUS AURA SYNC driver allows a local user to bypass the driver's verification and invoke arbitrary IOCTLs, resulting in privilege escalation.
Refer to the 'End-of-Life Notice and Driver Update for Legacy ASUS Drivers ' section on the ASUS Security Advisory for more information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2026
This vulnerability resides within the ASUS AURA SYNC driver, which serves as a critical component for system hardware synchronization and customization across ASUS motherboards and related platforms. The flaw manifests as an exposed IOCTL (Input/Output Control) interface that lacks proper access control mechanisms, creating a significant security weakness in the driver's architecture. The vulnerability enables local users to bypass the driver's intended verification processes and execute arbitrary IOCTL commands, fundamentally undermining the driver's security model.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation within the kernel-mode driver component that handles user-space communication through IOCTL interfaces. When the ASUS AURA SYNC driver receives IOCTL requests, it should verify the calling process's privileges and authorization level before processing any commands. However, the flawed implementation allows unauthorized access to these interfaces without proper authentication checks or privilege verification. This design flaw directly violates security principles established in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system compromise through arbitrary code execution within kernel space. Local attackers can leverage this weakness to manipulate hardware settings, potentially corrupting system configurations or executing malicious payloads with elevated privileges. The attack surface becomes particularly concerning given that ASUS AURA SYNC drivers are commonly installed on systems where users may have varying levels of access control, making exploitation more likely in environments where standard user accounts exist.
The privilege escalation occurs because the exposed IOCTL interface operates without proper kernel-mode access control enforcement, allowing local users to invoke commands that should only be accessible to system-level processes or administrators. This weakness enables attackers to modify hardware configuration parameters, potentially affecting system stability or creating backdoor access points. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient privilege checking within kernel-mode components, where the lack of proper access control validation creates an attack vector for unauthorized system manipulation.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive access control mechanisms within the driver's IOCTL handling code, ensuring that all incoming requests undergo proper authentication and authorization checks. System administrators should immediately update to the latest ASUS driver versions that address this specific vulnerability, as outlined in the ASUS Security Advisory documentation. The remediation process involves verifying that the driver properly validates calling processes and enforces appropriate privilege levels before executing any hardware-related commands through the IOCTL interface.
This vulnerability classification aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation tactic, specifically targeting kernel-mode exploitation techniques where attackers leverage driver-level weaknesses to gain elevated system privileges. The exposure of unauthenticated IOCTL interfaces represents a common attack pattern that security researchers have documented extensively, particularly in legacy driver implementations where proper access control mechanisms were not adequately implemented or maintained during software lifecycle management. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in other third-party drivers and implement automated patch management processes to ensure timely remediation of such critical security weaknesses.