CVE-2023-27325 in Parallels
Summary
by MITRE • 05/03/2024
Parallels Desktop Updater Improper Initialization Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Parallels Desktop. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target host system in order to exploit this vulnerability.
The specific flaw exists within the Updater service. The issue results from the lack of proper initialization of environment variables. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of root. . Was ZDI-CAN-18253.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2024
The CVE-2023-27325 vulnerability represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within Parallels Desktop's Updater service that demonstrates the dangerous consequences of improper environment variable initialization in system components. This vulnerability resides in the updater service which is responsible for maintaining the Parallels Desktop installation and ensuring it remains current with the latest security patches and features. The flaw specifically manifests when the updater service fails to properly initialize critical environment variables during its execution lifecycle, creating a predictable security boundary that malicious actors can exploit to gain elevated privileges.
This vulnerability operates under the CWE-276 principle of insecure default permissions, where the updater service initializes with insufficient security controls that allow unauthorized code execution with elevated privileges. The flaw essentially creates a privileged execution context where environment variables that should be properly sanitized or validated are not, allowing an attacker with low-privileged access to manipulate the execution environment and subsequently escalate their privileges to root level access. The vulnerability directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1068 which involves the exploitation of legitimate credentials and system privileges to gain unauthorized access to elevated system resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides attackers with complete system control through the root context. Once exploited, an attacker can execute arbitrary code with the highest system privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or the installation of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an initial foothold through low-privileged code execution, making it particularly concerning as it can be chained with other vulnerabilities or social engineering attacks to achieve complete system compromise. The updater service typically runs with elevated privileges to perform its maintenance functions, but the improper initialization creates a window where these privileges can be improperly leveraged.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-27325 should focus on immediate patch deployment as provided by Parallels, while also implementing additional security controls such as privilege separation for system services, proper environment variable sanitization, and monitoring for suspicious process execution patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unauthorized binaries and establish robust process monitoring to detect anomalous privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper initialization of system components, particularly those that operate with elevated privileges, aligning with industry standards that emphasize the need for defense in depth and principle of least privilege implementation.