CVE-2023-6080: A Case Study on Third-Party Installer Abuse

CVE-2023-6080: A Case Study on Third-Party Installer Abuse
Mandiant discovered and exploited a local privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2023-6080) in Lakeside Software’s SysTrack installer, allowing low-privilege users to gain arbitrary code execution through flaws in the Microsoft Software Installer (MSI) repair process. The issue has been addressed in version 11.0 of SysTrack. Affected: SysTrack, Windows systems

Keypoints :

  • Mandiant exploited a vulnerability in Lakeside Software’s SysTrack version 10.7.8.
  • An attacker with low-privilege access could escalate privileges locally through the MSI repair action.
  • The vulnerability was identified and reported responsibly to Lakeside Software.
  • The issue has been fixed in SysTrack version 11.0.
  • Insecure coding practices in Microsoft Software Installer’s Custom Actions were a primary cause of the vulnerability.
  • File operations during MSI repair could trigger from NT AUTHORITYSYSTEM context, leading to privilege escalation.
  • The exploit involved creating a race condition during the repair action to execute arbitrary code.
  • Defensive measures should include secure coding practices and appropriate folder permissions.
  • Mandiant recommends auditing endpoint security and monitoring for privilege escalation attempts.

MITRE Techniques :

  • Privilege Escalation (T1068) – An attacker exploits a vulnerability in the MSI repair process to gain elevated privileges.
  • Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203) – The attacker executes a malicious executable by manipulating the repair functionality of SysTrack.

Indicator of Compromise :

  • [File] wac0000.tmp
  • [File] wacFFFF.tmp
  • [File] wac1.tmp
  • [File] wac2.tmp
  • [File] wac3.tmp


Full Story: https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/cve-2023-6080-third-party-installer-abuse/

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