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This vulnerability is a Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) race condition within HP Image Assistant’s package installation process on Windows. The flaw exists in how the software, which typically runs with elevated SYSTEM privileges during driver or firmware deployments, validates and then executes installation packages. A local attacker can exploit the brief window between the application’s verification of a package’s digital signature or integrity and the moment it is passed to the Windows installer service (e.g., MSIEXEC). By substituting a legitimate, signed package with a malicious one at the precise moment after the check but before execution, the attacker can trick the high-privilege service into running their code. This allows the attacker to break out of the standard user context and achieve full system compromise, as the malicious payload inherits the SYSTEM privileges of the HP Image Assistant service.
Platform: HP Image Assistant
Version: Prior 5.3.3
Vulnerability: Local Privilege Escalation
Severity: Medium
date: December 2025
Prediction: Patch available.
What Undercode Say:
Analytics:
Monitor for process creation from HPIA paths with suspicious parents
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='Security'; ID='4688'} | Where-Object {$<em>.Properties[bash].Value -like 'hpia' -and $</em>.Properties[bash].Value -notlike 'SYSTEM'}
Check for HP Image Assistant version
wmic product where "name like 'HP Image Assistant%%'" get version
Example of a potential race condition symlink attack vector (conceptual)
An attacker might try to swap a target directory between a valid and malicious payload.
mklink /J C:\Temp\LegitPackage C:\Attacker\MaliciousMSI
Query installed packages related to HP Get-Package -ProviderName msi, Programs -Name "HPImageAssistant"
How Exploit:
1. Identify target HPIA package directory.
2. Craft malicious MSI with SYSTEM privileges.
- Deploy race condition tool to swap files during the TOCTOU window.
4. Trigger HPIA package installation routine.
5. Malicious MSI executes as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.
Protection from this CVE
- Update to HP Image Assistant version 5.3.3 or later immediately.
- Restrict local user permissions on directories used by HPIA for temporary package storage.
- Employ application whitelisting policies to block unexpected child processes from HPIA.
- Implement least privilege principles; limit administrative sessions.
Impact:
- Full system compromise (SYSTEM privileges).
- Bypass of all local security policies.
- Persistence establishment via high-integrity backdoors.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
Extra Source Hub:
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