Beyond Compare: Untrusted Search Path
CVE-2024-7886 is a high-severity untrusted search path vulnerability in Beyond Compare from Scooter Software, 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 Beyond Compare versions: 3.3.5.15075. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.19% 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
- Update beyond_compare to 3.3.5.15075 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scooter Software | Beyond Compare | 3.3.5.15075 | Not stated |
| Scootersoftware | beyond_compare | before 3.3.5.15075 | 3.3.5.15075 |
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 CNA (vuldb.com).
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.5 | High | CNA (vuldb.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CNA (vuldb.com) |
| CVSS 2.0 | 6.8 | Medium | CNA (vuldb.com) |
Official description
A vulnerability has been found in Scooter Software Beyond Compare up to 3.3.5.15075 and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality in the library 7zxa.dll. The manipulation leads to uncontrolled search path. Attacking locally is a requirement. The real existence of this vulnerability is still doubted at the moment. The vendor explains that a system must be breached before exploiting this issue. They are not planning on making any changes to address it.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Untrusted Search Path
The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.
- When invoking other programs, specify those programs using fully-qualified pathnames. While this is an effective approach, code that uses fully-qualified pathnames might not be portable to other systems that do not use the same pathnames. The portability can be improved by locating the full-qualified paths in a centralized, easily-modifiable location within the source code, and having the code refer to these paths.
- Remove or restrict all environment settings before invoking other programs. This includes the PATH environment variable, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and other settings that identify the location of code libraries, and any application-specific search paths.
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
Recent Untrusted Search Path vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
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