CVE-2023-28892

Malwarebytes AdwCleaner 8.4.0 runs as Administrator and performs an insecure file delete operation on C:AdwCleanerLogsAdwCleaner_Debug.log in which the target location is user-controllable, allowing a non-admin user to escalate privileges to SYSTEM via a symbolic link.

Weakness

The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

Affected Software

Potential Mitigations

• Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
• Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/132.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/17.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/35.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/76.html

References

• https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/307429-release-adwcleaner-841/
• https://malwarebytes.com
• https://www.malwarebytes.com/secure/cves/cve-2023-28892