CVE-2026-14208
Received Received - Intake

Remote Utilities Host DLL Insecure ACL Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-08-21

Last updated on: 2026-08-21

Assigner: Switzerland Government Common Vulnerability Program

Description
Remote Utilities Host <=7.7.3.0 sets insecure ACLs on all DLL files in the installation directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Remote Utilities - Host\), granting FULL CONTROL (F) to the built-in Everyone group (BUILTIN\Everyone, S-1-1-0). A Windows service running as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM loads DLLs from this directory. The DLLs are file-locked at runtime, but a race window exists when the service is stopped (e.g. during a software update or following a crash), during which a local unprivileged attacker can replace a DLL with a malicious payload. Upon service restart, the payload executes as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. The DLL confirmed as actively loaded during testing is libasset32.dll. Additional DLLs in the same directory (eventmsg.dll, libcodec32.dll, vp8encoder.dll, vp8decoder.dll, webmvorbisdecoder.dll, webmvorbisencoder.dll, webmmux.dll) share identical insecure permissions.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-21
Last Modified
2026-08-21
Generated
2026-08-21
AI Q&A
2026-08-21
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-14208
EUVD
EUVD-2026-63896

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 4 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
remote_utilities host 7.7.3.0
remote_utilities host to 7.8.4.0 (exc)
remote_utilities host 7.8.4.0
remote_utilities server 3.5.5.0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-732 The product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors.

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Executive Summary

Remote Utilities Host <=7.7.3.0 sets insecure ACLs on all DLL files in the installation directory, granting FULL CONTROL to the Everyone group. A Windows service running as SYSTEM loads these DLLs. A race condition during service stop allows a local attacker to replace a DLL with malicious code. When the service restarts, the payload executes as SYSTEM.

Detection Guidance

Check the permissions of DLL files in the Remote Utilities Host installation directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Remote Utilities - Host\). Use icacls to verify if the Everyone group has FULL CONTROL (F) access. Example command: icacls "C:\Program Files (x86)\Remote Utilities - Host\*.dll"

Impact Analysis

An attacker with local access could escalate privileges to SYSTEM level, gaining full control over the affected system. This could lead to unauthorized data access, system manipulation, or further network compromise.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or data breaches, violating confidentiality requirements in GDPR and HIPAA. Organizations using vulnerable versions may face compliance violations and potential fines.

Mitigation Strategies

Update Remote Utilities Host to version 7.8.4.0 or later. If updating is not possible, restrict write permissions for the Everyone group on the installation directory and its DLL files. Disable the Remote Utilities Host service if not in use.

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