CVE-2026-20799 in Battery Life Diagnostic Tool
Summary
by MITRE • 08/12/2026
Untrusted search path for some Battery Life Diagnostic Tool software before version 2.9.0 within Ring 3: User Applications may allow an escalation of privilege. Unprivileged software adversary with an authenticated user combined with a high complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are not present with special internal knowledge and requires passive user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Ring 3 user applications, specifically affecting Battery Life Diagnostic Tool software versions prior to 2.9.0. The issue stems from an untrusted search path configuration that allows malicious actors to manipulate the execution flow of legitimate system components. The vulnerability operates at the application level where the diagnostic tool fails to properly validate or sanitize the paths it uses to locate and execute supporting libraries or binaries, creating a dangerous environment where attacker-controlled code can be loaded and executed with elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves improper handling of dynamic library loading mechanisms or executable path resolution within the diagnostic tool's runtime environment. When an unprivileged user executes the vulnerable software, the application searches through a predetermined list of directories without adequate validation of their contents or trustworthiness. This behavior aligns with CWE-426 Untrusted Search Path, which specifically addresses situations where applications use search paths that can be manipulated by attackers to load malicious code. The vulnerability is classified as requiring high complexity due to the need for an authenticated user context and specific conditions that must be met for exploitation to occur effectively.
The operational impact of this privilege escalation vulnerability extends across all three fundamental security principles of information security. The confidentiality impact is rated as high because successful exploitation could allow attackers to access sensitive system information, user credentials, or protected data that would normally be restricted to privileged processes. Integrity is severely compromised as the attacker gains the ability to modify critical system components, install malicious software, or alter system configurations with elevated privileges. Availability is also at risk since the attacker could potentially disrupt system operations through destructive modifications or by installing malware that consumes system resources.
The attack vector requires local access and passive user interaction, meaning an authenticated user must initiate execution of the vulnerable diagnostic tool for the exploit to be effective. This requirement reduces the attack surface compared to remote exploitation scenarios but still presents a significant risk in environments where users have legitimate access to potentially compromised systems. The vulnerability's potential impact on system confidentiality, integrity, and availability creates cascading effects that can result in complete system compromise, with the subsequent impacts being rated as none due to the fundamental breach of security controls.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and secure coding practices within the diagnostic tool's development lifecycle. System administrators should immediately update to version 2.9.0 or later where the untrusted search path issue has been resolved through proper path validation mechanisms. Additional protective measures include implementing application whitelisting policies, configuring proper file permissions, and monitoring for unauthorized modifications to system directories. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting T1068 (Local Port Forwarding) and T1548.002 (Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism), making it a critical target for defensive security measures and incident response protocols to prevent unauthorized system access and maintain operational integrity.