CVE-2022-31465 in Xpedition Designer
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2022
A vulnerability has been identified in Xpedition Designer (All versions < VX.2.11). The affected application assigns improper access rights to the service executable. This could allow an authenticated local attacker to inject arbitrary code and escalate privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-31465 affects Xpedition Designer software across all versions prior to VX.2.11, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the application's security architecture. This issue stems from improper privilege assignment within the service executable component, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit. The vulnerability specifically targets the local security model of the application, where authenticated users with legitimate access can leverage this flaw to gain elevated privileges beyond their intended access level.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the inadequate implementation of access control mechanisms within the service executable. When the application initializes its service components, it fails to properly enforce the principle of least privilege, allowing the service to operate with elevated permissions that exceed what is necessary for normal operation. This misconfiguration creates a privilege escalation vector where a local attacker who has already established authentication credentials can manipulate the service execution environment to inject malicious code. The flaw operates at the system-level access control domain, aligning with CWE-276 which addresses improper file permissions and inadequate access control implementations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations using Xpedition Designer for electronic design automation and circuit board design tasks. The local privilege escalation capability means that even if an attacker initially gains access through legitimate means such as user account compromise or social engineering, they can leverage this vulnerability to achieve system-level control. This elevated access level enables the attacker to modify critical system files, install persistent backdoors, or access sensitive design data that may contain proprietary intellectual property or security-critical information. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only local authentication, making it accessible through various initial compromise scenarios including credential theft or insider threats.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate privilege escalation to encompass broader security implications for the entire system infrastructure. Once an attacker achieves elevated privileges, they can potentially access other system resources, modify application configurations, or even pivot to compromise additional systems within the network. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers local privilege escalation and T1548.001 which addresses abuse of system permissions. Organizations using Xpedition Designer should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided patch to version VX.2.11 or later, implementing additional access controls, and conducting thorough security assessments of their design environments to identify potential exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patch deployment to upgrade to version VX.2.11 or newer, which addresses the improper access rights assignment issue through corrected privilege management. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious service execution patterns and access control violations. The remediation process should include reviewing and hardening service account permissions, implementing proper service isolation, and conducting comprehensive security audits of the application's execution environment. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege enforcement at the operating system level to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in other applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper privilege management and access control implementation in enterprise software, particularly in specialized design applications that handle sensitive technical information.