CVE-2026-14208: CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource in Remote Utilities Pte. Ltd. Remote Utilities Host
Remote Utilities Host <=7.7.3.0 sets insecure ACLs on all DLL files in the installation directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Remote Utilities - Host\), granting FULL CONTROL (F) to the built-in Everyone group (BUILTIN\Everyone, S-1-1-0). A Windows service running as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM loads DLLs from this directory. The DLLs are file-locked at runtime, but a race window exists when the service is stopped (e.g. during a software update or following a crash), during which a local unprivileged attacker can replace a DLL with a malicious payload. Upon service restart, the payload executes as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. The DLL confirmed as actively loaded during testing is libasset32.dll. Additional DLLs in the same directory (eventmsg.dll, libcodec32.dll, vp8encoder.dll, vp8decoder.dll, webmvorbisdecoder.dll, webmvorbisencoder.dll, webmmux.dll) share identical insecure permissions.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
Remote Utilities Host versions <=7.7.3.0 set insecure Access Control Lists (ACLs) on all DLL files in the installation directory, granting FULL CONTROL to the built-in Everyone group. A Windows service running as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM loads these DLLs. Although DLLs are locked at runtime, a race condition exists when the service is stopped, allowing a local unprivileged attacker to replace DLLs with malicious payloads. Upon service restart, the malicious DLL executes with SYSTEM privileges. The affected DLLs include libasset32.dll, eventmsg.dll, libcodec32.dll, vp8encoder.dll, vp8decoder.dll, webmvorbisdecoder.dll, webmvorbisencoder.dll, and webmmux.dll.
Potential Impact
An attacker with local unprivileged access can exploit the insecure permissions to replace critical DLLs during a service stop window. This leads to arbitrary code execution with SYSTEM-level privileges upon service restart, potentially compromising the entire system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict local access to the affected system and monitor for unauthorized changes to DLL files in the installation directory. Avoid stopping and restarting the Remote Utilities Host service unnecessarily to reduce the race window.
CVE-2026-14208: CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource in Remote Utilities Pte. Ltd. Remote Utilities Host
Description
Remote Utilities Host <=7.7.3.0 sets insecure ACLs on all DLL files in the installation directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\Remote Utilities - Host\), granting FULL CONTROL (F) to the built-in Everyone group (BUILTIN\Everyone, S-1-1-0). A Windows service running as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM loads DLLs from this directory. The DLLs are file-locked at runtime, but a race window exists when the service is stopped (e.g. during a software update or following a crash), during which a local unprivileged attacker can replace a DLL with a malicious payload. Upon service restart, the payload executes as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. The DLL confirmed as actively loaded during testing is libasset32.dll. Additional DLLs in the same directory (eventmsg.dll, libcodec32.dll, vp8encoder.dll, vp8decoder.dll, webmvorbisdecoder.dll, webmvorbisencoder.dll, webmmux.dll) share identical insecure permissions.
CVSS v4.0
Score 7.3high
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
Remote Utilities Host versions <=7.7.3.0 set insecure Access Control Lists (ACLs) on all DLL files in the installation directory, granting FULL CONTROL to the built-in Everyone group. A Windows service running as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM loads these DLLs. Although DLLs are locked at runtime, a race condition exists when the service is stopped, allowing a local unprivileged attacker to replace DLLs with malicious payloads. Upon service restart, the malicious DLL executes with SYSTEM privileges. The affected DLLs include libasset32.dll, eventmsg.dll, libcodec32.dll, vp8encoder.dll, vp8decoder.dll, webmvorbisdecoder.dll, webmvorbisencoder.dll, and webmmux.dll.
Potential Impact
An attacker with local unprivileged access can exploit the insecure permissions to replace critical DLLs during a service stop window. This leads to arbitrary code execution with SYSTEM-level privileges upon service restart, potentially compromising the entire system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict local access to the affected system and monitor for unauthorized changes to DLL files in the installation directory. Avoid stopping and restarting the Remote Utilities Host service unnecessarily to reduce the race window.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- NCSC.ch
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-30T09:38:07.326Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a883189acd9273b49099806
Added to database: 08/21/2026, 11:07:53 UTC
Last enriched: 08/21/2026, 11:22:05 UTC
Last updated: 08/21/2026, 14:23:34 UTC
Views: 6
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