SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab Security Advisory < 20200826-0 > ======================================================================= title: Extensive file permissions on service executable product: Eikon Thomson Reuters vulnerable version: 4.0.42144 fixed version: - CVE number: CVE-2019-10679 impact: High homepage: eikon.thomsonreuters.com found: 2019-03-18 by: Khalil Bijjou (Office CH) SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab An integrated part of SEC Consult Europe | Asia | North America https://www.sec-consult.com ======================================================================= Vendor description: ------------------- "Eikon is the financial analysis desktop and mobile solution that connects you t relevant, trusted content, Reuters news, markets, liquidity pools, and colleagues." Source: https://www.refinitiv.com/en/products/spot-matching-forwards-matching Business recommendation: ------------------------ As long as the vendor did not release a patch for this vulnerability, we recommend moving Eikon Thomson Reuters to a separate system outside the domain to which users can connect to. Furthermore, we recommend to closely monitor any activities related to Eikon Thomson Reuters. Vulnerability overview/description: ----------------------------------- The current file permissions of the directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\Thomson Reuters)\Eikon" allow users of the group Authenticated Users to modify files in the folder. As these files are executed by the service that runs with SYSTEM privileges, it is possible to escalate privileges and create a new user with administrator privileges. Proof of concept: ----------------- The service's executable file is writeable by members of the Authenticated Users group. A user can create a malicious file that for example creates a new user and adds him to the Administrators group and replace the service's executable file with it. As the service runs in the SYSTEM users context, the malicious file will be executed the next time the service is started. As the SYSTEM user has the highest privileges, the mentioned actions are successfully performed and a new user will be created and added to the administrators group. Creating a new user represents only an example. Other critical actions can be performed instead. Vulnerable / tested versions: ----------------------------- The following version has been tested which was the latest version available at the time of discovery: * 4.0.42144 Vendor contact timeline: ------------------------ 2019-04-09: Contacting vendor through the contact form in the homepage. Service request number is 07521820. 2019-04-09: Received reply that they will supply a security contact. 2019-04-16: Sent reminder as no security contact has been supplied yet. 2019-04-23: Sent reminder #2. 2019-04-23: Vendor replied: "Thank you for your reminder, the release date has been duly noted. As previously mentioned, I have transferred your query to our security specialists already, they will reach out to you if they deem it necessary." 2020-08-26: Release of security advisory. Solution: --------- As the vendor has not responded to any of our further requests, we are currently unaware, whether a fix has been published or not. In any case, we recommend to run the application on a separate server to which users have to connect (e.g. via RDP). Workaround: ----------- We recommend enabling write permissions to administrative users only and to adhere to updating best practices. Advisory URL: ------------- https://www.sec-consult.com/en/vulnerability-lab/advisories/index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab SEC Consult Europe | Asia | North America About SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab The SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab is an integrated part of SEC Consult. It ensures the continued knowledge gain of SEC Consult in the field of network and application security to stay ahead of the attacker. The SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab supports high-quality penetration testing and the evaluation of new offensive and defensive technologies for our customers. Hence our customers obtain the most current information about vulnerabilities and valid recommendation about the risk profile of new technologies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interested to work with the experts of SEC Consult? Send us your application https://www.sec-consult.com/en/career/index.html Interested in improving your cyber security with the experts of SEC Consult? Contact our local offices https://www.sec-consult.com/en/contact/index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mail: research at sec-consult dot com Web: https://www.sec-consult.com Blog: http://blog.sec-consult.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/sec_consult EOF Khalil Bijjou / @2020