Overview
The vulnerability in question, CVE-2024-13959, is a serious cybersecurity issue affecting AVG TuneUp 24.2.16593.9844 on Windows. The flaw allows local attackers to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of the SYSTEM through the creation of a symbolic link. By leveraging the service, they can delete a directory, which in turn, could potentially compromise the system or lead to data leakage.
Given the popularity and widespread usage of AVG TuneUp by both individual users and organizations, this vulnerability has a broad impact. The fact that it allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code under the SYSTEM context makes it a significant concern for all AVG TuneUp users.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2024-13959
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
AVG TuneUp | 24.2.16593.9844
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of a vulnerability in TuneupSvc.exe in AVG TuneUp. The attacker begins by creating a symbolic link and then leverages the service to delete a directory. By doing this, the attacker can escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of the SYSTEM. This means that they can manipulate the system as if they had the highest level of access, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
The following pseudocode provides a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited:
# Create a symbolic link
os.symlink("/path/to/target/directory", "/path/to/symlink")
# Leverage the service to delete a directory
os.system("TuneupSvc.exe /delete /path/to/symlink")
# Execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM
os.system("cmd.exe /c ArbitraryCode")Please note, this is a simplified and hypothetical representation of the exploit. The actual exploit would likely be more complex and requires specific conditions to be met.