SYSTEM privilege escalation via unsafe updater search
Published Jul 31, 2024 · Updated Jul 31, 2024
Untrusted search path handling in Cato Networks Cato Client before 5.10.34 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM during upgrade. The Windows self-updater launches cato-VPN-setup.exe from C:\Windows\Temp, where its unqualified msiexec.exe lookup executes an attacker-planted binary. Exploitation requires low-privileged local code execution and waiting for an automatic client update, after which the malicious binary runs with VPN service privileges.
Summary
What happened
Untrusted search path handling in Cato Networks Cato Client before 5.10.34 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM during upgrade. The Windows self-updater launches cato-VPN-setup.exe from C:\Windows\Temp, where its unqualified msiexec.exe lookup executes an attacker-planted binary. Exploitation requires low-privileged local code execution and waiting for an automatic client update, after which the malicious binary runs with VPN service privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-6974
- Published
- Jul 31, 2024
- Updated
- Jul 31, 2024
- Vendor
- Cato Networks
- Product
- Cato Client
- Classifications
- CWE-276, CWE-426, CAPEC-233, T1574.008
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 31, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 31, 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=0 <5.10.34
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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
- Cato Client self-upgrade privilege-escalation demonstrationfunctional · demonstrated
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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