CVE-2020-28175 in Speedfan
Summary
by MITRE • 12/03/2020
There is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Alfredo Milani Comparetti SpeedFan 4.52. Attackers can use constructed programs to increase user privileges
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-28175 represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within Alfredo Milani Comparetti SpeedFan version 4.52, a widely used system monitoring and fan control utility for windows environments. This vulnerability allows attackers to elevate their privileges from standard user level to administrative rights through carefully crafted malicious programs, exploiting inherent weaknesses in the software's privilege management mechanisms. The flaw specifically targets the application's handling of system-level operations and user permission contexts, creating an exploitable path for malicious actors to bypass normal security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper privilege validation and inadequate access control mechanisms within SpeedFan's code execution flow. When the application processes certain commands or executes specific system operations, it fails to properly verify the executing user's privileges before performing administrative actions. This design flaw falls under the common category of privilege escalation vulnerabilities, specifically aligning with CWE-276 which addresses improper privileges and CWE-782 which covers exposed services with weak authentication. The vulnerability manifests when malicious code attempts to leverage the application's legitimate administrative capabilities to execute privileged operations without proper authorization checks.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-28175 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, creating a comprehensive attack vector that can lead to full system compromise. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability gains the ability to modify system configurations, install malicious software, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the compromised system. The attack surface is particularly concerning because SpeedFan is commonly installed on desktop systems and laptops, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to establish footholds in enterprise environments. This vulnerability can be leveraged as a stepping stone for broader network infiltration, as the elevated privileges enable access to system resources that would otherwise be restricted to administrators only.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-28175 should focus on immediate software updates and system hardening measures. Users should promptly upgrade to SpeedFan version 4.53 or later, which includes patches addressing the privilege escalation vulnerability. Organizations should implement strict access controls and privilege management policies, ensuring that only authorized personnel have administrative rights on systems running SpeedFan. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious process execution patterns and unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK framework technique T1068 which covers privilege escalation through local exploitation, and T1548 which addresses abuse of privilege escalation techniques. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted programs that might exploit this vulnerability, while maintaining regular security audits to identify and remediate similar issues in other system utilities.