A critical security flaw in Active WebCam 11.5 unquoted service path vulnerability tracked as CVE-2021-47790
, was recently highlighted for its potential to grant attackers administrative control. Understanding the Risk: CVE-2021-47790
The vulnerability occurs when a Windows service is installed with a path that contains spaces (e.g., C:\Program Files\Active WebCam\awc.exe
) but lacks surrounding double quotes. Due to how Windows handles file execution, an attacker can place a malicious executable in a parent directory—such as C:\Program.exe —which the system will mistakenly execute with LocalSystem privileges when the service starts.
: Elevated system privileges, arbitrary code execution, and potential full system compromise.
: Local attackers with basic file-writing permissions can exploit this misconfiguration. How to Patch and Secure Your System active webcam 115 unquoted service path patched
If you are running Active WebCam 11.5, it is vital to verify and fix the service path. While specialized security intelligence platforms like
monitor these threats, you can manually remediate the issue using these steps: Identify the Path : Use the command prompt as an administrator to run:
wmic service get name,pathname,displayname | findstr /i "Active WebCam" Check if the "pathname" lacks double quotes. Edit the Registry Registry Editor ) as an administrator. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Find the Active WebCam service entry and locate the Manually add double quotes around the entire path (e.g., "C:\Program Files\Active WebCam\awc.exe" Restart the Service
: Stop and restart the service for the changes to take effect. For those managing multiple assets, resources from Exploit-DB
provide further technical documentation on this and similar vulnerabilities. PowerShell script A critical security flaw in Active WebCam 11
to automatically detect and wrap unquoted paths for all your installed services? CVE-2021-47790 Detail - NVD
import winreg
def check_active_webcam_vuln():
"""
Checks for the 'Active Webcam 11.5' unquoted service path vulnerability.
Vulnerable services have a path containing spaces and are not enclosed in quotes.
"""
service_name = "Active WebCam"
# Standard registry path for services
reg_path = r"SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services"
try:
# Open the registry key for the service
key = winreg.OpenKey(winreg.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, f"reg_path\\service_name", 0, winreg.KEY_READ)
# Query the ImagePath value
path_val, _ = winreg.QueryValueEx(key, "ImagePath")
winreg.CloseKey(key)
# Logic to determine vulnerability
# 1. Path must contain spaces (e.g., C:\Program Files\...)
# 2. Path must NOT start with a quote mark
if " " in path_val and not path_val.startswith('"'):
print(f"[!] Vulnerability Detected: Service 'service_name' has an unquoted path.")
print(f" Path: path_val")
print(" Status: The service appears to be UNPATCHED.")
elif path_val.startswith('"'):
print(f"[*] Service 'service_name' is PATCHED (Path is quoted).")
else:
print(f"[*] Service 'service_name' path does not contain spaces (No vulnerability).")
except FileNotFoundError:
print(f"[-] Service 'service_name' not found on this system.")
except Exception as e:
print(f"[-] Error accessing registry: e")
if __name__ == "__main__":
check_active_webcam_vuln()
Look for:
services.exe and image path is not the expected service binary.C:\*.exe by non-admin users.Identify the Vulnerability: The first step is to identify what specific vulnerability or issue is being referred to. This could involve looking up the CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) list or checking the documentation of the software/service in question to see if there are known issues related to unquoted service paths.
Understand the Impact: Once the vulnerability is identified, assess its potential impact. In this case, if the vulnerability relates to a webcam and a service path, it could potentially allow unauthorized access to the webcam feed or even control over the system.
Apply Patches: Ensure that all relevant patches have been applied. Keeping software and systems up to date is crucial for security. Part 4: Real-World Impact and Risk Assessment EDR
Monitor for Activity: Regularly monitor the system and network for unusual activity. This could involve setting up intrusion detection systems or regularly reviewing system logs.
Secure Webcam Usage: If the webcam is not needed, consider disabling it. If it is needed, ensure that access to it is properly controlled and that it's used in a secure manner.
Review Service Configurations: Review the configuration of services running on the system, especially those that are not properly quoted in their path, to ensure they are secure and not exploitable.
Educate Users: If there are multiple users of the system, ensure they are aware of the risks and the importance of secure practices, such as not installing untrusted software.
When a Windows service is configured with a path containing spaces and not enclosed in quotation marks, the operating system’s service control manager interprets the path ambiguously.