ShineShadow Security Report 16122009-15

TITLE

Kaspersky Lab Multiple Products Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

BACKGROUND

Due to its high level of professionalism and dedication, Kaspersky Lab has become a market leader in the development of 
antivirus protection. The company’s main product, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, regularly receives top awards in tests 
conducted by respected international research centers and IT publications. Kaspersky Lab was the first to develop many 
technological standards in the antivirus industry, including full-scale solutions for Linux, Unix and NetWare, a 
new-generation heuristic analyzer designed to detect newly emerging viruses, effective protection against polymorphic 
and macro viruses, continuously updated antivirus databases and a technique for detecting viruses in archived files.

Source: http://www.kaspersky.com

VULNERABLE PRODUCTS

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 5.0 for Windows Workstations (5.0.712)
Kaspersky Antivirus Personal 5.0.x
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 for Windows Workstations (6.0.3.837)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 for Windows File Servers (6.0.3.837)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7 (7.0.1.325)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 (8.0.0.x)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 (9.0.0.463)
Kaspersky Internet Security 7 (7.0.1.325)
Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 (8.0.0.x)
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 (9.0.0.463)

Prior versions may also be affected.

DETAILS

Insecure permissions have been detected in the multiple Kaspersky Lab antivirus products. “Everyone" group has “Full 
Control” rights to the BASES folder. The folder consists of antivirus bases, configuration files and executable 
modules. Local attacker (unprivileged user) can replace some files (for example, executable modules) by malicious file 
and execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. This is local privilege escalation vulnerability.

For example, in Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 (9.0.0.463) the following attack scenario could be used:
1. An attacker (unprivileged user) replaces one of the *.kdl files by malicious dynamic link library (DLL). The 
replacing file could be - %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Kaspersky Lab\AVP9\Bases\vulns.kdl.
2. Restart the system.
After restart attackers malicious DLL will be loaded with SYSTEM privileges.

Self-defense of  the Kaspersky Anti-Virus will prevent all operations with own files. It can be bypassed using internal 
shell dialogs in Kaspersky Anti-Virus (for example, "Open" dialog in Quarantine).

For other vulnerable Kaspersky Lab products similar attack scenario could be used.

EXPLOITATION 

An attacker must have valid logon credentials to a system where vulnerable software is installed.

WORKAROUND

Kaspersky Lab has addressed this vulnerability by releasing fixed versions of the vulnerable products:
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 (9.0.0.736)
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 (9.0.0.736)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 for Windows Workstations (6.0.4.1212)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 for Windows File Servers (6.0.4.1212)

DISCLOSURE TIMELINE

16/07/2009 Initial vendor notification. Secure contacts requested.
16/07/2009 Vendor response 
16/07/2009 Vulnerability details sent
21/07/2009 Vendor accepted vulnerability for analysis
0708/2009 Vendor confirmed vulnerability in personal and corporate product lines and notified that the vulnerability 
will be fixed in new versions of vulnerable products 
23/09/2009 Update status query sent
17/09/2009 Vendor response that the vulnerability will be fixed in October but in the last product lines only (personal 
2010 CF2 and corporate MP4). Fixing the vulnerability in prior product lines is not planned.
01/10/2009 Corporate product line has been updated (Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows Workstations 6.0.4.1212 released)
22/10/2009 Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 Critical Fix 2 released
16/12/2009 Advisory released

CREDITS

Maxim A. Kulakov (ShineShadow) 
ss_contacts[at]hotmail.com