CVE-2018-8724
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-8724 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in K7AntiVirus Premium where the K7TSMngr.exe component has incorrect access control. This allows local attackers to gain SYSTEM-level privileges on affected Windows systems. Users running K7AntiVirus Premium 15.1.0.53 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- K7AntiVirus Premium
📦 What is this software?
Antivrius by K7computing
Enterprise Security by K7computing
Total Security by K7computing
Ultimate Security by K7computing
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with local access can execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges, enabling complete system compromise, persistence installation, and bypassing all security controls.
Likely Case
Malware or an attacker with initial foothold escalates privileges to SYSTEM to disable security software, install backdoors, or access protected resources.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and limited user privileges, impact is reduced to the compromised user's permissions only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access but is straightforward once initial access is obtained. Public exploit code exists.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Versions after 15.1.0.53
Vendor Advisory: https://support.k7computing.com/index.php?/selfhelp/view-article/Advisory-issued-on-6th-January-2021
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open K7AntiVirus Premium. 2. Click 'Update' to check for updates. 3. Install available updates. 4. Restart the computer.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict K7TSMngr.exe permissions
windowsModify file permissions to prevent unauthorized users from interacting with the vulnerable component
icacls "C:\Program Files\K7 Computing\K7AntiVirus Premium\K7TSMngr.exe" /deny Users:(RX)
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Uninstall K7AntiVirus Premium 15.1.0.53 and replace with alternative antivirus solution
- Implement strict least privilege access controls and monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check K7AntiVirus Premium version in the application interface or via 'About' section. If version is 15.1.0.53, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wmic product where "name like 'K7AntiVirus%'" get versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify K7AntiVirus Premium version is greater than 15.1.0.53 and check that updates were successfully installed.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation from K7TSMngr.exe
- Privilege escalation events in Windows Security logs
- Suspicious child processes running as SYSTEM
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local privilege escalation
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND NewProcessName="*K7TSMngr.exe*" AND SubjectUserName!="SYSTEM"