# CVE-2019-8452: Privilege escalation in Check Point Endpoint Security client for Windows

> Local attackers can exploit hard links to modify file permissions, gaining unauthorized access to restricted files and escalating privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 22 Apr 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5prc-43fj-m4f2

## What is CVE-2019-8452?

CVE-2019-8452 is a high-severity vulnerability in Check Point Endpoint Security client for Windows, published on 22 Apr 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A hard-link created from log file archive of Check Point ZoneAlarm up to 15.4.062 or Check Point Endpoint Security client for Windows before E80.96 to any file on the system will get its permission changed so that all users can access that linked file. Doing this on files with limited access gains the local attacker higher privileges to the file.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access), CWE-65 (Windows Hard Link)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-8452?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Checkpoint Endpoint Security, Checkpoint Zonealarm.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-8452?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-8452 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-8452 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-8452 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- CheckPoint Endpoint Security Client/ZoneAlarm 15.4.062.17802 - Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Check Point Endpoint Security client for Windows

- [CVE-2023-28134](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28134/): Local Privliege Escalation in Check Point Endpoint Security Remediation Service (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2023-28133](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28133/): Privilege escalation in Harmony Endpoint. (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-23742](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23742/): Path traversal in Check Point Endpoint Security Client for Windows (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2021-30360](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-30360/): Privilege escalation in Check Point Remote Access Client (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2020-6021](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-6021/): Privilege escalation in Check Point Endpoint Security Client for Windows (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-8452 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-8452 is a high-severity vulnerability in Check Point Endpoint Security client for Windows, published on 22 Apr 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-8452 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Check Point Endpoint Security client for Windows. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8452/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8452/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-8452
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-8452
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-8452

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-8452/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.