CVE-2019-11230 : What You Need to Know

Avast Antivirus before version 19.4 was vulnerable to a local administrator manipulating the software through a symlink attack, potentially leading to the renaming of critical files.

Understanding CVE-2019-11230

This CVE involves a security vulnerability in Avast Antivirus that could be exploited by a local administrator to disrupt the software's functionality.

What is CVE-2019-11230?

Prior to version 19.4 of Avast Antivirus, a flaw existed that allowed a local administrator to manipulate the software by replacing a specific log file with a symlink. This manipulation could result in the renaming of crucial files, impacting the software's operation.

The Impact of CVE-2019-11230

The vulnerability could be exploited to rename essential files like AvastSvc.exe, causing the software to fail during the next system reboot.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-11230

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Avast Antivirus allowed a local administrator to trick the software into renaming arbitrary files by replacing a specific log file with a symlink. When the software attempted to write to the log file, the symlink's target would be renamed instead.

Affected Systems and Versions

Avast Antivirus versions before 19.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Local administrator replaces Logs\Update.log file with a symlink
Software writes to the log file, causing the symlink target to be renamed
Critical files like AvastSvc.exe could be renamed, leading to software failure on system reboot

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-11230 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Avast Antivirus to version 19.4 or newer
Monitor system logs for any suspicious file renaming activities

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement least privilege access to limit administrator capabilities
Regularly review and update security configurations

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches and updates provided by Avast to address the vulnerability