CVE-2022-38699 is a vulnerability identified in the ASUS Armoury Crate Service, specifically related to its logging function. The flaw is categorized under CWE-59, which involves improper link resolution before file access, commonly known as 'link following'. The vulnerability arises because the logging function does not adequately validate whether the log file it writes to is a symbolic link. An attacker with general user privileges on the affected system can exploit this by modifying the log file's properties to point to an arbitrary system file via a symbolic link. When the logging function writes to this symbolic link, it inadvertently overwrites the targeted system file. This can lead to disruption of system operations, potentially causing denial of service or corruption of critical system files. The affected product version is Armoury Crate Service 5.1.5.0. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9, indicating a medium severity level. The vector metrics specify that the attack requires physical access (AV:P), low attack complexity (AC:L), privileges at the user level (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no confidentiality impact (C:N), but high impact on integrity (I:H) and availability (A:H). There are no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked in the provided information. The vulnerability is significant because it allows a local attacker to escalate impact by corrupting or overwriting critical system files through a relatively simple symbolic link attack, leveraging insufficient validation in the logging mechanism.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be considerable, especially for those using ASUS hardware with Armoury Crate Service installed, such as gaming or high-performance workstations. The vulnerability allows a local attacker with physical access to compromise system integrity and availability by overwriting critical system files. This could lead to system instability, denial of service, or potentially facilitate further privilege escalation or malware persistence. In environments where physical access is controlled but not fully restricted, such as shared offices, repair centers, or public access areas, this vulnerability increases the risk of insider threats or unauthorized maintenance personnel causing damage. Moreover, disruption of critical systems could affect business continuity, especially in sectors relying on ASUS hardware for specialized tasks. Although the confidentiality impact is rated as none, the integrity and availability impacts could lead to operational disruptions and increased incident response costs. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the medium severity and ease of exploitation by a local user warrant proactive mitigation.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should first verify if ASUS Armoury Crate Service version 5.1.5.0 or similar vulnerable versions are deployed on their systems. Since no official patches are referenced, organizations should consider the following specific actions: 1) Restrict physical access to systems running Armoury Crate Service to trusted personnel only, employing strict access controls and monitoring. 2) Implement file system integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized changes to log files or symbolic links within the service's logging directories. 3) Use endpoint protection tools that can detect and block symbolic link manipulation or suspicious file system activities. 4) Where possible, disable or uninstall the Armoury Crate Service if it is not essential to business operations, reducing the attack surface. 5) Engage with ASUS support channels to obtain updates or patches addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 6) Educate IT and security teams about the risks of symbolic link attacks and ensure that system hardening practices include validation of file access permissions and link resolutions. 7) Employ application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized execution of altered or malicious binaries that could exploit this vulnerability indirectly.