CVE-2021-45492 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

In Sage 300 ERP (formerly accpac) through 6.8.x, an attacker could exploit the system-wide PATH environment variable to escalate privileges through DLL search-order hijacking.

Understanding CVE-2021-45492

What is CVE-2021-45492?

Sage 300 ERP installs a directory with weak permissions in the system-wide PATH, allowing unprivileged users potentially to escalate their privileges through DLL manipulation.

The Impact of CVE-2021-45492

The vulnerability enables attackers to perform DLL search-order hijacking, potentially leading to privilege escalation up to SYSTEM level.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-45492

Vulnerability Description

The installer configures a writable directory with weak permissions in the system-wide PATH, facilitating DLL search-order hijacking for privilege escalation.

Affected Systems and Versions

Sage 300 ERP through 6.8.x

Exploitation Mechanism

Unprivileged users could modify the application directory due to weak permissions, allowing DLL search-order hijacking.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Ensure proper permissions are set for directories to prevent unauthorized modifications.
Monitor and restrict changes to the system-wide PATH environment variable.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement least privilege access controls to limit potential exploits.
Regularly review and update permissions on sensitive directories.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches or updates from Sage to address the vulnerability.