CVE-2024-4696 in Service Bridge
Summary
by MITRE • 06/13/2024
A privilege escalation vulnerability was reported in Lenovo Service Bridge prior to version 5.0.2.17 that could allow operating system commands to be executed if a specially crafted link is visited.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-4696 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Lenovo Service Bridge software versions prior to 5.0.2.17. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle maliciously crafted links. The flaw allows an attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands through a specially constructed hyperlink, potentially compromising the entire system. The vulnerability affects Lenovo Service Bridge, a software component designed to facilitate system management and service operations, but which contains dangerous command execution capabilities that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a failure in the software's link processing mechanism, which does not adequately validate or sanitize user-supplied input before executing associated commands. When a user visits a maliciously crafted link, the system processes the input without proper security checks, leading to command injection attacks. This behavior aligns with common software security weaknesses classified under CWE-77 and CWE-94, which specifically address command injection vulnerabilities. The flaw exists in the application's architecture where user-controllable data flows directly into system execution contexts without proper sanitization or parameterization.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-4696 is severe and far-reaching, as it enables attackers to gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code with the same permissions as the running service. This privilege escalation capability allows malicious actors to bypass normal access controls and potentially gain full system compromise. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to install malware, modify system configurations, exfiltrate sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction, typically involving social engineering to convince victims to click on malicious links, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently trigger the attack vector.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate software updates to version 5.0.2.17 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should implement network-based protections including web application firewalls and URL filtering systems to block suspicious links before they reach end users. Security administrators should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all Lenovo Service Bridge installations and consider implementing least privilege principles for service accounts. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the dangers of clicking unknown links, particularly in email communications or instant messaging platforms. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation), highlighting the need for layered defensive measures including process monitoring, network traffic analysis, and endpoint detection capabilities to identify and prevent exploitation attempts.