CVE-2023-31468 – This vulnerability allows local attackers to es... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-31468?

CVE-2023-31468 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges to SYSTEM by exploiting weak folder permissions in Inosoft VisiWin 7 software. It affects users running Inosoft VisiWin 7 through version 2022-2.1 on Windows systems, enabling unauthorized code execution.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges to SYSTEM by exploiting weak folder permissions in Inosoft VisiWin 7 software. It affects users running Inosoft VisiWin 7 through version 2022-2.1 on Windows systems, enabling unauthorized code execution.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Inosoft VisiWin 7

Versions: Through 2022-2.1 (Runtime RT7.3 RC3 20221209.5)

Operating Systems: Windows

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Specifically, the '%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\INOSOFT GmbH' folder has weak permissions set to Everyone.

📦 What is this software?

Visiwin 7 by Inosoft

View all CVEs affecting Visiwin 7 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

An attacker gains full SYSTEM-level control over the system, allowing them to install malware, steal data, or disrupt operations.

🟠

Likely Case

Local privilege escalation leading to persistence, lateral movement, or data exfiltration within the network.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited to local user access with no privilege escalation if permissions are properly secured.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW, as exploitation requires local access to the system.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH, because internal users or compromised accounts can exploit this to gain elevated privileges.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires local access and involves inserting a Trojan horse file into the vulnerable folder.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2024-1

Vendor Advisory: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-24-151-03

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download and install Inosoft VisiWin 7 version 2024-1 or later from the official vendor. 2. Restart the system to apply changes.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Restrict Folder Permissions

windows

Modify permissions on the vulnerable folder to remove Everyone access and restrict to authorized users only.

icacls "%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\INOSOFT GmbH" /remove Everyone
icacls "%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\INOSOFT GmbH" /grant Administrators:F

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor the '%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\INOSOFT GmbH' folder for unauthorized file changes using file integrity monitoring tools.
Limit local user access to systems running Inosoft VisiWin 7 and enforce principle of least privilege.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check folder permissions: run 'icacls "%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\INOSOFT GmbH"' and look for 'Everyone' in the output.

Check Version:

Check the software version in the application's about or help menu, or inspect installation logs.

Verify Fix Applied:

After patching, verify the installed version is 2024-1 or later and that folder permissions no longer include Everyone.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Windows Event Logs (e.g., Security logs) showing file creation or modification in the '%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\INOSOFT GmbH' folder by non-admin users.

Network Indicators:

Unusual outbound connections from the system post-exploitation, such as to command-and-control servers.

SIEM Query:

Example: 'source="Windows Security" AND event_id=4663 AND object_name="*INOSOFT GmbH*" AND user!="SYSTEM" AND user!="Administrator"'

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-31468

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-276

Published: September 11, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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