{"id":"CVE-2018-18435","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2018-18435","generatedAt":"2026-10-29T02:04:41.392Z","title":"KioWare Server version 4.9.6 and older installs by default to \"C:\\kioware_com\" with weak folder permissions granting any user full permission \"Everyone: (F)\" to the contents of the directory and it's sub-folders.","description":"KioWare Server version 4.9.6 and older installs by default to \"C:\\kioware_com\" with weak folder permissions granting any user full permission \"Everyone: (F)\" to the contents of the directory and it's sub-folders. In addition, the program installs a service called \"KWSService\" which runs as \"Localsystem\", this will allow any user to escalate privileges to \"NT AUTHORITY\\SYSTEM\" by substituting the service's binary with a malicious one.","published":"2019-03-21T16:00:28.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T01:47:18.000Z","status":"Modified","sourceIdentifier":"cve@mitre.org","cvss":{"version":"3.0","score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":["CWE-732"],"affected":["kioware/kioware server"],"epss":{"score":0.01375,"percentile":0.71891,"date":"2026-10-27","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":false},"exploits":{"count":1,"verified":false,"firstPublished":"2019-01-07","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":46093,"kind":"exploit","title":"KioWare Server Version 4.9.6 - Weak Folder Permissions Privilege Escalation","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46093","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/windows/local/46093.txt","file":"exploits/windows/local/46093.txt","published":"2019-01-07","added":"2019-01-07","updated":"2019-01-07","author":"Hashim Jawad","type":"local","platform":"windows","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2018-18435"],"tags":"Local","aliases":null,"applicationUrl":"http://www.exploit-db.comKioWareSetupServer.rar","screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":null}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"A public exploit is published in Exploit-DB and the impact is high, while EPSS rates exploitation at 1.4%. Anyone can run this; patch or mitigate before the next change window and check exposed instances for signs of use."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/151031/KioWare-Server-4.9.6-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"https://github.com/active-labs/Advisories/blob/master/2019/ACTIVE-2019-002.md","source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"https://m.kioware.com/news/kioware-press-releases/kioware_server_security_patch_update","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"],"source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46093/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"https://www.kioware.com/patch.aspx","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"],"source":"cve@mitre.org"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/151031/KioWare-Server-4.9.6-Privilege-Escalation.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://github.com/active-labs/Advisories/blob/master/2019/ACTIVE-2019-002.md","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://m.kioware.com/news/kioware-press-releases/kioware_server_security_patch_update","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46093/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.kioware.com/patch.aspx","tags":["Patch","Vendor Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-18435","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}