CVE-2022-50924
Unquoted Service Path in Private Internet Access Allows Privilege Escalation
Publication date: 2026-01-13
Last updated on: 2026-01-13
Assigner: VulnCheck
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| private_internet_access | private_internet_access | 3.3.0.100 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-428 | The product uses a search path that contains an unquoted element, in which the element contains whitespace or other separators. This can cause the product to access resources in a parent path. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
CVE-2022-50924 is an unquoted service path vulnerability in Private Internet Access version 3.3. This means the service configuration for 'pia-service' does not properly quote the executable path, allowing local users to place malicious executables in certain directories. When the service starts, Windows may mistakenly execute the malicious code with elevated LocalSystem privileges due to how it parses unquoted paths containing spaces. This allows local attackers to run arbitrary code with high system privileges without requiring user interaction. [2, 4]
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated system privileges (LocalSystem), which means the attacker could gain full control over the affected system. This could lead to unauthorized access, modification, or destruction of data, installation of persistent malware, or disruption of system availability. [2, 4]
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by checking the service configuration for unquoted service paths, specifically for the 'pia-service' service. Commands such as 'wmic service where name="PrivateInternetAccessService" get PathName' or 'sc qc PrivateInternetAccessService' can be used to query the service binary path. If the path contains spaces and is not enclosed in quotes, the system is vulnerable to this unquoted service path issue. [4]
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation steps include correcting the service path by enclosing it in quotes to prevent the system from misinterpreting the path and executing malicious code. Alternatively, ensure that no malicious executables exist in any path segments that could be executed due to the unquoted path. Restrict local user access to prevent exploitation, and apply any available patches or updates from Private Internet Access addressing this vulnerability. [2, 4]