CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
3Tags
Description
The SolarWinds Dameware Mini Remote Control was determined to be affected by Incorrect Permissions Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability requires local access and a valid low privilege account to be susceptible to this vulnerability.
Analysis
Local privilege escalation vulnerability in SolarWinds Dameware Mini Remote Control caused by incorrect permission assignments on system resources. An authenticated attacker with low-privilege local access can exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges (SYSTEM/Administrator level), achieving complete system compromise including confidentiality, integrity, and availability violations. This vulnerability requires valid local credentials and user interaction is not required for exploitation, making it a significant risk for multi-user systems or those with shared access.
Technical Context
SolarWinds Dameware Mini Remote Control is a remote access and systems management tool used for Windows endpoint management. The vulnerability stems from CWE-269 (Improper Input Validation/Improper Privilege Management), where the application fails to properly enforce access controls on privileged resources or system operations. Rather than a software library or protocol issue, this is an architectural flaw in how the Dameware service validates user permissions before executing sensitive operations. The vulnerability likely exists in the core Dameware service (dwrcs.exe or related system drivers/services) that runs with elevated privileges but accepts input/actions from low-privilege users without proper authorization checks. The affected product range includes Dameware Mini Remote Control versions prior to the patched release, with CPE identifier likely being 'cpe:2.3:a:solarwinds:dameware_mini_remote_control:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*'.
Affected Products
SolarWinds Dameware Mini Remote Control - specific version range not provided in CVE description but likely affects multiple recent versions (2024.x and earlier based on typical SolarWinds release cycles). Organizations should verify exact affected versions through official SolarWinds security advisory SWSEC-2025-026 or equivalent. CPE: cpe:2.3:a:solarwinds:dameware_mini_remote_control:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* (all versions prior to patched release). Product deployed on Windows systems with SYSTEM service privileges. Affected configurations include: multi-user Windows systems, domain-joined machines with multiple local accounts, terminal server/RDS deployments, and managed service provider (MSP) environments using Dameware for client support.
Remediation
IMMEDIATE: Update SolarWinds Dameware Mini Remote Control to the patched version released in response to CVE-2025-26396 (version details to be confirmed via SolarWinds official advisory). SPECIFIC: (1) Check SolarWinds Security Advisory portal for Dameware patch and apply immediately to all affected systems; (2) Verify installed version using 'Help > About' in Dameware client or registry checks on Windows hosts; (3) Deploy through WSUS/SCCM or manual installation with testing in staging environment first. INTERIM MITIGATIONS (if immediate patching is delayed): (1) Restrict local access to systems running Dameware—disable unnecessary local accounts; (2) Implement strong local account policies (complex passwords, account lockout); (3) Monitor for exploitation attempts via Windows Event Logs (Security event ID 4672 for privilege escalation); (4) Apply Windows NTFS permissions to restrict access to Dameware installation directories; (5) Consider temporary removal of Dameware on non-critical systems if patching cannot occur within 30 days. WORKAROUNDS: None confirmed; patching is the primary remediation. VALIDATION: After patching, verify Dameware version and test privilege escalation scenarios in test environment to confirm fix effectiveness.
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2025-16661