CVE-2016-20055
Unquoted Service Path in IObit ASC 10 Allows Privilege Escalation
Publication date: 2026-04-04
Last updated on: 2026-04-14
Assigner: VulnCheck
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| iobit | advanced_system_care | to 10.0.2 (inc) |
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?
IObit Advanced SystemCare version 10.0.2 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability in the AdvancedSystemCareService10 service. This means the service's executable path is not enclosed in quotes, which can be exploited by local attackers.
Because the service path includes spaces and is unquoted, an attacker with local access can place a malicious executable in a directory path that the system checks before the legitimate executable. When the service restarts or the system reboots, the malicious executable is run with LocalSystem privileges, allowing the attacker to escalate their privileges on the system.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability allows a local attacker to escalate their privileges from a lower-level user to SYSTEM level by exploiting the unquoted service path.
- The attacker can execute malicious code with LocalSystem privileges.
- This can lead to full control over the affected system, including access to sensitive data and the ability to modify system settings.
- It can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.
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 AdvancedSystemCareService10 service.
You can use the following command on a Windows system to query the service configuration and identify if the service path is unquoted:
- sc qc AdvancedSystemCareService10
If the output shows the binary path without quotes around paths containing spaces, it indicates the presence of the unquoted service path vulnerability.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, you should ensure that the service path for AdvancedSystemCareService10 is properly quoted to prevent execution of malicious executables placed in the service path.
Immediate steps include:
- Manually edit the service configuration to enclose the executable path in quotes.
- Remove or restrict write permissions on directories in the service path to prevent local attackers from placing malicious executables.
- Apply any available patches or updates from the software vendor that address this vulnerability.
- As a temporary workaround, consider disabling the AdvancedSystemCareService10 service if it is not critical.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
The vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges to LocalSystem level by exploiting an unquoted service path in IObit Advanced SystemCare 10.0.2. This privilege escalation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data and system resources.
Such unauthorized privilege escalation and potential data compromise can negatively impact compliance with common standards and regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require strict controls on access to sensitive information and system integrity.
However, the provided resources do not explicitly discuss the direct impact of this vulnerability on compliance frameworks.