Local privilege escalation via installer directory hijacking
Published Apr 6, 2022 · Updated Oct 25, 2024
Improper initialization in affected FortiClient for Windows releases allows local users to gain administrative privileges during installation. The online installer uses an incorrect working directory, allowing an attacker-writable installer directory to supply a malicious executable that runs with elevated installer rights. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and user interaction, and successful execution grants administrative control over the Windows host.
Summary
What happened
Improper initialization in affected FortiClient for Windows releases allows local users to gain administrative privileges during installation. The online installer uses an incorrect working directory, allowing an attacker-writable installer directory to supply a malicious executable that runs with elevated installer rights. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and user interaction, and successful execution grants administrative control over the Windows host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-44169
- Published
- Apr 6, 2022
- Updated
- Oct 25, 2024
- Vendor
- Fortinet
- Product
- FortiClient Windows
- Classifications
- CWE-665, T1574.008
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 6, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 25, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=FortiClientWindows 7.0.2, 7.0.1, 7.0.0, 6.4.7, 6.4.6, 6.4.5, 6.4.4, 6.4.3, 6.4.2, 6.4.1, 6.4.0, 6.2.9, 6.2.8, 6.2.7, 6.2.6, 6.2.5, 6.2.4, 6.2.3, 6.2.2, 6.2.1, 6.2.0, 6.0.10, 6.0.9, 6.0.8, 6.0.7, 6.0.6, 6.0.5, 6.0.4, 6.0.3, 6.0.2, 6.0.1, 6.0.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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