UltraVNC: Improper Privilege Management
CVE-2022-24750 is a high-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in UltraVNC, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected UltraVNC versions: < 1.3.8.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.27% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of UltraVNC you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | CNA (github.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 2.0 | 7.2 | High | NVD |
Official description
UltraVNC is a free and open source remote pc access software. A vulnerability has been found in versions prior to 1.3.8.0 in which the DSM plugin module, which allows a local authenticated user to achieve local privilege escalation (LPE) on a vulnerable system. The vulnerability has been fixed to allow loading of plugins from the installed directory. Affected users should upgrade their UltraVNC to 1.3.8.1. Users unable to upgrade should not install and run UltraVNC server as a service. It is advisable to create a scheduled task on a low privilege account to launch WinVNC.exe instead. There are no known workarounds if winvnc needs to be started as a service.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Privilege Management
The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
- Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
- Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.
More Improper Privilege Management vulnerabilities (CWE-269)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
- github.com/ultravnc/UltraVNC/security/advisories/GHSA-3mvp-cp5x-vj5gThird Party Advisory
Patches and release notes
- github.com/bowtiejicode/UltraVNC-DSMPlugin-LPEThird Party Advisory
- github.com/ultravnc/UltraVNC/commit/36a31b37b98f70c1db0428f5ad83170d604fb352Third Party Advisory
Other vulnerabilities in UltraVNC
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
Recent Improper Privilege Management vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
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