bestinformed Infoclient: External Control of System or Configuration Setting
CVE-2025-0425 is a high-severity external control of system or configuration setting vulnerability in bestinformed Infoclient from Cordaware, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.5 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. The record lists version 6.3.7.0 as the first without the flaw, so updating bestinformed Infoclient to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.17% 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 bestinformed Infoclient to 6.3.7.0 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordaware | bestinformed Infoclient | before 6.3.7.0 | 6.3.7.0 |
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.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (ncsc.ch).
Official description
Via the GUI of the "bestinformed Infoclient", a low-privileged user is by default able to change the server address of the "bestinformed Server" to which this client connects. This is dangerous as the "bestinformed Infoclient" runs with elevated permissions ("nt authority\system"). By changing the server address to a malicious server, or a script simulating a server, the user is able to escalate his privileges by abusing certain features of the "bestinformed Web" server. Those features include: * Pushing of malicious update packages * Arbitrary Registry Read as "nt authority\system" An attacker is able to escalate his privileges to "nt authority\system" on the Windows client running the "bestinformed Infoclient". This attack is not possible if a custom configuration ("Infoclient.ini") containing the flags "ShowOnTaskbar=false" or "DisabledItems=stPort,stAddress" is deployed.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: External Control of System or Configuration Setting
One or more system settings or configuration elements can be externally controlled by a user.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Compartmentalize the system to have safe areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
- Because setting manipulation covers a diverse set of functions, any attempt at illustrating it will inevitably be incomplete. Rather than searching for a tight-knit relationship between the functions addressed in the setting manipulation category, take a step back and consider the sorts of system values that an attacker should not be allowed to control.
- In general, do not allow user-provided or otherwise untrusted data to control sensitive values. The leverage that an attacker gains by controlling these values is not always immediately obvious, but do not underestimate the creativity of the attacker.
More External Control of System or Configuration Setting vulnerabilities (CWE-15)
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
Patches and release notes
Recent External Control of System or Configuration Setting vulnerabilities
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
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