CVE-2019-5012 in Driver
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Wacom, driver version 6.3.32-3, update helper service in the startProcess command. The command takes a user-supplied script argument and executes it under root context. A user with local access can use this vulnerability to raise their privileges to root. An attacker would need local access to the machine for a successful exploit.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-5012 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Wacom driver update helper service component. This issue specifically affects version 6.3.32-3 of the Wacom driver software and resides within the startProcess command functionality. The flaw manifests as a dangerous execution flow where user-supplied script arguments are directly processed and executed with elevated root privileges, creating a significant security risk for systems running the affected driver version. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only local access to the target machine, making it particularly concerning as it can be leveraged by attackers who have already gained initial access to the system through other means.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper privilege management within the driver's update helper service. When the startProcess command receives a script argument from user input, it fails to properly validate or sanitize this input before executing it under the root context. This design flaw directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and input validation, allowing arbitrary code execution with the highest system privileges. The vulnerability operates as a classic privilege escalation vector where a local user can manipulate the helper service to execute malicious payloads with root permissions, effectively bypassing normal user access controls and system security boundaries.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe threat landscape for organizations using affected Wacom driver versions. The ability to escalate privileges to root level from a local user context provides attackers with complete system control, enabling them to modify system files, install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or establish covert access points. The low attack barrier, requiring only local access, means that this vulnerability can be exploited by malicious users with minimal prerequisites, potentially allowing attackers who have already compromised other system components to gain full administrative control. The vulnerability's presence in a device driver component also complicates remediation efforts as driver updates may be required across multiple systems.
Security mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-5012 should focus on immediate driver version updates from Wacom to address the privilege escalation flaw. System administrators should implement strict access controls limiting local user privileges and disable unnecessary driver services when possible. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-78 and CWE-20 categories, representing command injection and input validation failures respectively, and follows ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation through service manipulation and execution of malicious code with elevated privileges. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious process execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of device drivers and system components should be conducted to identify similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in other system components.