CVE-2026-16246 in BRAIN2
Summary
by MITRE • 07/20/2026
In BRAIN2 versions prior to 3.09, the application LogPathConfig.exe is executed during setup. As a result, the Windows group Everyone is granted full control over %ProgramData% instead of being restricted to %ProgramData%\Bizerba\BRAIN2\.
Starting with BRAIN2 3.09, the setup no longer executes this tool.
However, the optional component Bizerba ScriptService still executes it.
Bizerba ScriptService is being deprecated and will no longer be included starting with BRAIN2 version 3.11.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2026
The vulnerability in BRAIN2 versions prior to 3.09 represents a significant privilege escalation risk through improper access control configuration during software installation. The LogPathConfig.exe application, which runs automatically during setup process, creates a security misconfiguration by granting the Windows group Everyone full control permissions over the %ProgramData% directory instead of maintaining proper access restrictions for the specific BRAIN2 application folder %ProgramData%\Bizerba\BRAIN2\. This fundamental flaw allows any local user to gain complete administrative access to the entire program data directory, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution, data manipulation, or privilege escalation attacks.
This security weakness directly maps to CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for critical resources, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting local privileges to escalate access. The vulnerability exists because the installation process fails to properly implement the principle of least privilege by unnecessarily broadening access controls during setup rather than restricting them to only the necessary application directories. The flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices in handling system-level permissions and access control management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple permission misconfiguration to create persistent security weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers with local access. Once a malicious user gains access to the system, they can leverage the broad permissions granted to Everyone group to modify critical application files, inject malware, or establish persistence mechanisms within the program data directory structure. This presents particularly serious risks in enterprise environments where multiple users may have local access to systems running affected BRAIN2 versions.
The remediation approach requires understanding that the vulnerability was partially addressed through version 3.09 by removing the problematic LogPathConfig.exe execution from the main setup process, though the optional Bizerba ScriptService component continues to execute it until its complete deprecation in version 3.11. Organizations should immediately upgrade to BRAIN2 3.09 or later versions and ensure complete removal of the deprecated ScriptService component to eliminate the remaining exposure. System administrators should conduct thorough access control audits of %ProgramData% directories and verify that proper permissions are maintained for each application's specific data folders rather than allowing overly broad permissions that could be exploited by local users with minimal privileges.