CVE-2021-40981 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

ASUS ROG Armoury Crate Lite before 4.2.10 allows local users to gain privileges by placing a Trojan horse file in the publicly writable %PROGRAMDATA%\ASUS\GamingCenterLib directory.

Understanding CVE-2021-40981

ASUS ROG Armoury Crate Lite before 4.2.10 is vulnerable to a privilege escalation issue that could be exploited by local users.

What is CVE-2021-40981?

This CVE describes a security vulnerability in ASUS ROG Armoury Crate Lite that enables local users to elevate their privileges by inserting a malicious file into a specific directory.

The Impact of CVE-2021-40981

The vulnerability allows unauthorized local users to gain elevated privileges on the affected system, potentially leading to further exploitation and compromise.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-40981

ASUS ROG Armoury Crate Lite before 4.2.10 is affected by the following:

Vulnerability Description

Local users can exploit the vulnerability by placing a Trojan horse file in the %PROGRAMDATA%\ASUS\GamingCenterLib directory to escalate privileges.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: ASUS ROG Armoury Crate Lite
Vendor: ASUS
Versions Affected: All versions before 4.2.10

Exploitation Mechanism

Local users can insert a malicious file into the publicly writable directory to gain unauthorized privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is essential to take immediate action to address CVE-2021-40981 and prevent further security risks.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update ASUS ROG Armoury Crate Lite to version 4.2.10 or newer to mitigate the privilege escalation vulnerability.
Restrict access to the affected directory to authorized users only.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor for any unauthorized changes or files in critical system directories.
Educate users on the importance of maintaining the integrity of system files and directories.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by ASUS for ASUS ROG Armoury Crate Lite to address known vulnerabilities.