CVE-2017-12414
📋 TL;DR
Format Factory 4.1.0 has a DLL hijacking vulnerability where attackers can place malicious DLL files in directories that the application searches before legitimate system directories. This allows arbitrary code execution when the application loads these DLLs. Users running Format Factory 4.1.0 on Windows systems are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Format Factory
📦 What is this software?
Format Factory by Pcfreetime
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with administrative privileges, allowing attackers to install malware, steal data, or create persistent backdoors.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution in the context of the user running Format Factory, potentially leading to credential theft or lateral movement.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper application whitelisting and DLL search path restrictions are enforced.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires placing malicious DLLs in directories writable by the attacker, typically requiring some level of access or social engineering.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.2.0 and later
Vendor Advisory: http://www.pcfreetime.com/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest Format Factory from official website. 2. Uninstall current version. 3. Install updated version. 4. Restart system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Set SafeDllSearchMode
windowsEnable Windows Safe DLL Search Mode to prioritize system directories
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager" /v SafeDllSearchMode /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Remove write permissions
windowsRemove write permissions from Format Factory installation directory for non-admin users
icacls "C:\Program Files\FormatFactory" /deny Users:(OI)(CI)W
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict user permissions to Format Factory installation directory
- Use application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized DLLs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Format Factory version in Help > About. If version is 4.1.0, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check Help > About in Format Factory GUI or examine installed programs in Control PanelVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 4.2.0 or later in Help > About menu.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- DLL loading from non-system directories
- Process creation from Format Factory with suspicious parent processes
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from Format Factory process
SIEM Query:
process_name:"FormatFactory.exe" AND (file_path:NOT "C:\\Windows\\*" AND file_extension:".dll")