CVE-2022-45422 is a high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability affecting LG PCs with the SmartShare software installed. The vulnerability arises from a DLL Hijacking attack, classified under CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element). In this scenario, the SmartShare application improperly handles the loading of Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs), allowing an attacker with local access to place a malicious DLL in a location where the application will load it instead of the legitimate one. This hijacking enables the attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially gaining full control over the affected system. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 reflects the significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector limited to local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date (November 21, 2022). The vulnerability is specific to LG PCs with SmartShare software installed, which is a media sharing application developed by LG Electronics. The lack of available patches at the time of reporting increases the urgency for mitigation through other means. This vulnerability can be exploited by any local user who can trick a legitimate user into executing the vulnerable application or by an attacker who has already gained limited access to the system, thereby escalating their privileges to system or administrator level.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially in environments where LG PCs with SmartShare are deployed. The ability for a local attacker to escalate privileges can lead to full system compromise, data theft, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and disruption of business operations. This is particularly critical for sectors handling sensitive or regulated data such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure. The requirement for local access and user interaction somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in scenarios involving insider threats, compromised user accounts, or social engineering attacks. Additionally, compromised systems could be used as footholds for lateral movement within corporate networks, increasing the overall risk posture. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate threat but does not preclude targeted attacks or future exploitation. Organizations relying on LG PCs in their IT infrastructure should be aware of this vulnerability's potential to undermine endpoint security and overall network integrity.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting local user permissions to minimize the risk of unauthorized DLL placement. Implement strict access controls on directories where SmartShare and its DLLs reside. 2. Disable or uninstall the SmartShare software on LG PCs if it is not essential to business operations to eliminate the attack surface. 3. Employ application whitelisting and integrity checking tools to detect and prevent unauthorized DLLs from being loaded by SmartShare. 4. Educate users about the risks of executing unknown or untrusted applications and the dangers of social engineering that could lead to privilege escalation. 5. Monitor systems for unusual DLL loading behavior or privilege escalation attempts using endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions. 6. Regularly review and apply any patches or updates from LG Electronics as they become available, and subscribe to vendor security advisories for timely information. 7. In environments where SmartShare must be used, consider running the application with the least privileges possible and in isolated environments or sandboxes to limit the impact of potential exploitation.