CVE-2023-53965
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-53965 is an unquoted service path vulnerability in SOUND4 Server Service 4.1.102 that allows local non-privileged users to escalate privileges to LocalSystem level. Attackers can place malicious executables in the service path to execute arbitrary code with highest system privileges during service startup. This affects any Windows system running the vulnerable SOUND4 Server Service.
💻 Affected Systems
- SOUND4 Server Service
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise via LocalSystem privilege escalation, enabling attackers to install persistent malware, steal credentials, disable security controls, and gain full administrative control of the affected system.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to lateral movement within the network, credential harvesting, and installation of backdoors or ransomware on the compromised system.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper access controls, least privilege principles, and service hardening are implemented, though the vulnerability still presents a significant risk.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to the system; public exploit code is available on Exploit-DB and other sources.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: https://web.archive.org/web/20221207074555/https://www.sound4.com/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check vendor website for updated version. 2. If patch exists, download and install. 3. Restart the service. 4. Verify the service path is properly quoted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Quote Service Path
windowsModify the service configuration to use quoted paths for the binary executable.
sc config "SOUND4 Server Service" binPath= "\"C:\Program Files\SOUND4\server.exe\""
Restrict Write Permissions
windowsRemove write permissions for non-administrative users on directories in the service path.
icacls "C:\Program Files\SOUND4" /deny Users:(OI)(CI)W
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Run the service under a less privileged account instead of LocalSystem.
- Implement strict access controls to prevent local users from writing to service path directories.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if the service path is unquoted: sc qc "SOUND4 Server Service" | findstr BINARY_PATH_NAMECheck Version:
Check service properties or vendor documentation for version information.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify the service path is quoted and no spaces exist before the executable path in the output of: sc qc "SOUND4 Server Service"📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected service restarts
- Creation of executable files in service path directories by non-admin users
- Process creation events showing execution from unexpected locations
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from the SOUND4 Server Service process
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND NewProcessName contains "SOUND4" AND SubjectUserName NOT IN ("SYSTEM", "Administrators")🔗 References
- https://web.archive.org/web/20221207074555/https://www.sound4.com/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/51167
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/sound-server-service-local-privilege-escalation-via-unquoted-service-path
- https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2022-5721.php
- https://www.zeroscience.mk/en/vulnerabilities/ZSL-2022-5721.php
