CVE-2019-18194 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

TotalAV 2020 4.14.31 has a vulnerability that can lead to privilege escalation by manipulating a quarantine flaw. Attackers can exploit this by moving a malicious DLL from quarantine to the system32 folder using an NTFS directory junction.

Understanding CVE-2019-18194

TotalAV 2020 4.14.31 vulnerability for privilege escalation.

What is CVE-2019-18194?

This CVE identifies a flaw in TotalAV 2020 4.14.31 that allows attackers to escalate privileges through a specific manipulation of the quarantine feature.

The Impact of CVE-2019-18194

Attackers can gain elevated privileges on affected systems.
Malicious DLLs can be moved into critical system folders, potentially leading to further compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-18194

Details of the vulnerability in TotalAV 2020 4.14.31.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in TotalAV 2020 4.14.31 enables privilege escalation by exploiting a quarantine issue, allowing the restoration of a malicious DLL into the system32 directory.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: TotalAV 2020 4.14.31
Vendor: N/A
Version: N/A

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers abuse an NTFS directory junction to move a malicious DLL from quarantine back into the system32 folder, gaining elevated privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-18194.

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable the NTFS junction feature to prevent exploitation.
Regularly monitor critical system folders for unauthorized DLLs.
Consider using alternative antivirus solutions until a patch is available.

Long-Term Security Practices

Keep antivirus software and systems up to date to mitigate future vulnerabilities.
Implement least privilege access to limit the impact of privilege escalation attacks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates from TotalAV and apply patches promptly to address the vulnerability.