CVE-2021-4199 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This article discusses the Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource vulnerability in the crash handling component BDReinit.exe found in Bitdefender products, allowing a remote attacker to elevate local privileges to SYSTEM.

Understanding CVE-2021-4199

This section delves into the impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies related to CVE-2021-4199.

What is CVE-2021-4199?

The vulnerability lies in Bitdefender products like Total Security, Internet Security, Antivirus Plus, and Endpoint Security Tools for Windows, enabling unauthorized escalation of local privileges to SYSTEM.

The Impact of CVE-2021-4199

The CVSS score of 7.8 highlights the high severity of the vulnerability, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. A remote attacker can exploit this flaw to compromise the system.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-4199

This section elaborates on the vulnerability description, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises due to Incorrect Permission Assignment in the BDReinit.exe component, leading to unauthorized privilege escalation in Bitdefender products.

Affected Systems and Versions

Bitdefender Total Security, Internet Security, Antivirus Plus, and Endpoint Security Tools for Windows versions prior to specific versions are vulnerable to this flaw.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by a remote attacker with local access to escalate privileges to SYSTEM, compromising system integrity and confidentiality.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines immediate steps to take and long-term security practices to mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2021-4199.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update affected Bitdefender products to the patched versions promptly to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly updating software, implementing least privilege access controls, and conducting security assessments can enhance the overall security posture against similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Bitdefender has released automatic updates for affected products, including Total Security, Internet Security, Antivirus Plus, and Endpoint Security Tools for Windows, to address this critical vulnerability.