Vulnerabilities > CVE-2016-6935 - Unquoted Search Path or Element vulnerability in Adobe Creative Cloud

047910
CVSS 7.8 - HIGH
Attack vector
LOCAL
Attack complexity
LOW
Privileges required
LOW
Confidentiality impact
HIGH
Integrity impact
HIGH
Availability impact
HIGH
local
low complexity
adobe
CWE-428
nessus
NVD
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2024-11-21

Summary

Unquoted Windows search path vulnerability in Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application before 3.8.0.310 on Windows allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse executable file in the %SYSTEMDRIVE% directory.

Vulnerable Configurations

Part Description Count
Application
Adobe
34

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

  • Leveraging/Manipulating Configuration File Search Paths
    This attack loads a malicious resource into a program's standard path used to bootstrap and/or provide contextual information for a program like a path variable or classpath. J2EE applications and other component based applications that are built from multiple binaries can have very long list of dependencies to execute. If one of these libraries and/or references is controllable by the attacker then application controls can be circumvented by the attacker. A standard UNIX path looks similar to this If the attacker modifies the path variable to point to a locale that includes malicious resources then the user unwittingly can execute commands on the attackers' behalf: This is a form of usurping control of the program and the attack can be done on the classpath, database resources, or any other resources built from compound parts. At runtime detection and blocking of this attack is nearly impossible, because the configuration allows execution.

Nessus

NASL familyWindows
NASL idADOBE_CREATIVE_CLOUD_3_8_0_310.NASL
descriptionThe version of Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop installed on the remote Windows host is prior to 3.8.0.310. It is, therefore, affected by a privilege escalation vulnerability due to an unquoted search path. A local attacker can exploit this, via a malicious executable in the root path, to elevate privileges. Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application
last seen2020-06-01
modified2020-06-02
plugin id94055
published2016-10-13
reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2016-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/94055
titleAdobe Creative Cloud Desktop < 3.8.0.310 Unquoted Search Path Local Privilege Escalation (APSB16-34)
code
#
# (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc.
#

include("compat.inc");

if (description)
{
  script_id(94055);
  script_version("1.8");
  script_cvs_date("Date: 2019/11/14");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2016-6935");
  script_bugtraq_id(93489);

  script_name(english:"Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop < 3.8.0.310 Unquoted Search Path Local Privilege Escalation (APSB16-34)");
  script_summary(english:"Checks the version of Creative Cloud.");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"An application installed on the remote host is affected by privilege
escalation vulnerability.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The version of Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop installed on the remote
Windows host is prior to 3.8.0.310. It is, therefore, affected by a
privilege escalation vulnerability due to an unquoted search path. A
local attacker can exploit this, via a malicious executable in the
root path, to elevate privileges.

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied
only on the application's self-reported version number.");
  # https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/creative-cloud/apsb16-34.html
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"http://www.nessus.org/u?7c9d5190");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"Upgrade to Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop version 3.8.0.310 or later.");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2016-6935");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2016/10/11");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2016/10/11");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2016/10/13");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:adobe:creative_cloud");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Windows");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2016-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("adobe_creative_cloud_installed.nbin");
  script_require_keys("installed_sw/Adobe Creative Cloud");

  exit(0);
}

include("audit.inc");
include("global_settings.inc");
include("misc_func.inc");
include("install_func.inc");

app = 'Adobe Creative Cloud';

# Pull the installation information from the KB.
install = get_single_install(app_name:app, exit_if_unknown_ver:TRUE);

path = install['path'];
version = install['version'];

# For Adobe products, we compare the highest affected product, rather
# than the "fixed" version, as there is an ambiguous gap between what
# is considered affected and the fix.
highest_affected = "3.7.0.272";
fix = "3.8.0.310";

if (ver_compare(ver:version, fix:highest_affected, strict:FALSE) <= 0)
{
  port = get_kb_item("SMB/transport");
  if (isnull(port))
    port = 445;

  items = make_array("Installed version", version,
                     "Fixed version", fix,
                     "Path", path
                    );

  order = make_list("Path", "Installed version", "Fixed version");
  report = report_items_str(report_items:items, ordered_fields:order);

  security_report_v4(port:port, extra:report, severity:SECURITY_HOLE);
  exit(0);

}
else
  audit(AUDIT_INST_PATH_NOT_VULN, app, version, path);

References