Local Privilege Escalation in Exam4 via Command Injection

Executive Summary

Exam4 has a local privilege escalation flaw in the com.extegrity.LogTool privileged helper. The vulnerability occurs in the ConsoleLogHelper copyConsoleIntoFileFromStartDate method, which runs a syslog command using user-controlled inputs without proper validation. This allows command injection, letting an attacker execute arbitrary commands with root privileges via LaunchSynchronous.

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Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves a local privilege escalation in Exam4 via a privileged helper tool. Detection requires checking for unauthorized command execution attempts or suspicious syslog interactions with the com.extegrity.LogTool helper. Monitor system logs for unusual root-level command invocations or XPC communication anomalies.

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Impact Analysis

A local attacker could exploit this to gain root access on your system, allowing them to install malware, steal data, or take full control of the affected machine. Since it requires local access, physical or network-based attackers with local privileges could abuse this to escalate their privileges.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized root access, potentially exposing sensitive data. This may violate GDPR's data protection requirements or HIPAA's security rules, depending on the data involved. Organizations using Exam4 may face compliance violations if exploited.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediately remove or disable the Exam4 application and its privileged helper tool com.extegrity.LogTool. Apply patches or updates from the vendor if available. Restrict local user permissions to limit potential exploitation vectors. Monitor for any signs of compromise.

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