CVE-2022-1741 in Democracy Suite Voting System
Summary
by MITRE • 06/24/2022
The tested version of Dominion Voting Systems ImageCast X has a Terminal Emulator application which could be leveraged by an attacker to gain elevated privileges on a device and/or install malicious code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1741 affects the Dominion Voting Systems ImageCast X terminal emulator application, representing a critical security weakness that could enable unauthorized privilege escalation and malicious code installation. This flaw exists within a system designed for voting infrastructure, making it particularly concerning from both security and electoral integrity perspectives. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and privilege management within the terminal emulator component, creating potential entry points for attackers seeking to compromise the device's operational integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper authentication mechanisms and privilege separation within the ImageCast X system. Attackers can exploit this weakness to bypass normal access controls and elevate their privileges from standard user levels to administrative or root access. This privilege escalation capability allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on the device, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates poor adherence to security best practices regarding least privilege principles and secure coding standards, as the system fails to properly validate user credentials and authorization levels before granting elevated system access.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risks to voting system security and integrity. An attacker who successfully exploits CVE-2022-1741 could potentially manipulate voting results, disrupt election processes, or gain persistent access to sensitive election infrastructure. The compromised device could serve as a foothold for broader attacks against connected systems within the voting infrastructure network. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising confidentiality through unauthorized data access, integrity through potential data manipulation, and availability through possible system disruption. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the affected system is part of critical voting infrastructure that requires robust security controls.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-1741 should include immediate patching of the affected Dominion Voting Systems ImageCast X devices, implementing network segmentation to isolate voting systems from general network access, and strengthening authentication mechanisms. Organizations should deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious privilege escalation activities and establish comprehensive monitoring protocols for voting infrastructure. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and relates to ATT&CK techniques such as privilege escalation and execution through command and control channels. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of voting systems should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the electoral infrastructure ecosystem.