JAWS Weak Service Permissions leads to Privilege Escalation

[Heimbuecher003 () connect wcsu edu]

JAWS Weak Service Permissions leads to Privilege Escalation

Vendor Website : http://www.freedomscientific.com/Products/Blindness/JAWS


INDEX
===============================================
1. Background
2. Description
3. CVSS 3.0 Base Metrics
4. Affected Products
5. Vulnerability
6. Solution
7. Credit
8. Disclosure Timeline


1. BACKGROUND
===============================================
JAWS, Job Access With Speech, is the world's most popular screen reader, developed for computer users whose vision loss 
prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse. 

2. DESCRIPTION
===============================================
When JAWS is installed on a Microsoft Windows operating system, it creates a service named "JTVNCProxy_version", where 
version is the current version of JAWS (e.g JTVNCProxy_13.0).

A local privilege escalation vulnerability has been identified in the JTVNCProxy Windows service in JAWS version 13.0 
and earlier. When installed, this service allows Read/Write access to any user, meaning any user can modify the 
location of the binary executed by the service with SYSTEM privileges.

It should be noted that this vulnerability is not present in versions of JAWS from version 14 onwards.

3. CVSS 3.0 Base Metrics
===============================================
(AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H) 8.8

4. AFFECTED PRODUCTS
===============================================
All versions of JAWS 13 and earlier have been confirmed vulnerable.
 
 
5. VULNERABILITIES
===============================================
5.1 JTVNCProxy.exe

6. SOLUTION
===============================================
Vendor will provide a free upgrade to JAWS 14 for customers who are only licensed for JAWS 13 or earlier. Users 
interested in this free upgrade should contact support () freedomscientific com with their JAWS serial number and 
reference this disclosure.

7. CREDIT
===============================================
This vulnerability was discovered by Gregory Heimbuecher of Western Connecticut State University.

8. DISCLOSURE TIMELINE
===============================================
3-30-2016 - Vulnerability Discovered
4-1-2016 - Vendor Informed
4-4-2016 - Vendor acknowledges vulnerability, and announces a free upgrade to JAWS 14 for customers who are only 
licensed for JAWS 13 or earlier.
4-8-2016 - Public Disclosure