Vulnerability in Kioware Server

CVE-2018-18435

KioWare Server version 4.9.6 and older installs by default to "C:\kioware_com" with weak folder permissions granting any user full permission "Everyone: (F)" to the contents of the directory and it's sub-folders. In addition, the program installs a service called "KWSService" which runs as "Localsystem", this will allow any user to escalate privileges to "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" by substituting the service's binary with a malicious one.

EPSS: 0.014 (69.2th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 7.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-18435?
CVE-2018-18435 is a high-severity vulnerability in Kioware Server, classified under Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2019-03-21.
How severe is CVE-2018-18435?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.
Is CVE-2018-18435 known to be exploited?
1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.