CVE-2023-28871 in Secure Enterprise Client
Summary
by MITRE • 12/09/2023
Support Assistant in NCP Secure Enterprise Client before 12.22 allows attackers to read registry information of the operating system by creating a symbolic link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-28871 affects the Support Assistant component within NCP Secure Enterprise Client versions prior to 12.22. This issue represents a significant security weakness that stems from improper handling of symbolic links during registry information access operations. The flaw specifically manifests when the Support Assistant attempts to read registry information from the operating system, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit this functionality to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system data. The vulnerability operates at the system level and directly impacts the integrity of the Windows registry access mechanisms, potentially exposing critical system configuration details to unauthorized parties.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under CWE-59, which describes improper handling of symbolic links or hard links in file systems. The root cause lies in the Support Assistant component's failure to properly validate or sanitize symbolic link creation operations when accessing registry information. When an attacker creates a symbolic link pointing to sensitive registry locations, the application does not properly restrict or validate these operations, allowing the attacker to traverse the file system and access registry entries that should remain protected. This weakness enables attackers to bypass normal access controls and potentially read registry keys that contain sensitive information such as system configurations, user credentials, or application settings.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as registry information often contains critical system data that could be leveraged for further exploitation. Attackers could potentially use the leaked registry information to conduct reconnaissance activities, identify system configurations, or discover potential attack vectors for privilege escalation. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of system information, as unauthorized access to registry data could reveal system vulnerabilities or configuration weaknesses that attackers could exploit. This weakness particularly impacts enterprise environments where NCP Secure Enterprise Client is deployed, as it could provide attackers with insights into network infrastructure configurations and security implementations that may have been intended to remain confidential.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate software updates to version 12.22 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the symbolic link handling issue. Organizations should also implement strict access controls and monitoring for registry operations, particularly those involving the Support Assistant component. Network segmentation and privilege separation can help reduce the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise security tools. The ATT&CK framework classification for this vulnerability would fall under T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and potentially T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as the leaked registry information could be used to identify system weaknesses for further exploitation. System administrators should also consider implementing registry monitoring solutions and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to prevent similar issues from arising in other security applications within their environment.