A critical security vulnerability in Acer’s Control Center software has been discovered that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges on affected devices.
The vulnerability, identified by security researcher Leon Jacobs at Orange Cyber Defense, stems from misconfigured Windows Named Pipe permissions in the ACCSvc.exe service that enables unauthenticated remote access to privileged system functions.
Acer has released a security update to address the vulnerability, which affects users running the Control Center software across the company’s device ecosystem.
The vulnerability centers on a fundamental security misconfiguration within Acer Control Center’s ACCSvc.exe service, which implements a Windows Named Pipe using a custom communication protocol.
Named Pipes are inter-process communication mechanisms in Windows that allow different applications and services to exchange data securely.
However, in this case, the Named Pipe was configured with overly permissive access controls that fail to properly authenticate connecting clients.
The ACCSvc.exe service exposes various system functions through this Named Pipe interface, including the ability to invoke arbitrary executables with NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM privileges – the highest level of access in Windows operating systems.
This design vulnerability essentially creates a privileged backdoor that bypasses normal Windows security mechanisms.
The custom protocol implementation lacks proper authentication checks, allowing any process or remote connection to interact with the service as if it were a trusted system component.
Security researchers noted that this type of misconfiguration represents a common but dangerous oversight in Windows service development, where developers may prioritize functionality over security boundaries.
The vulnerability demonstrates how improper implementation of Windows security features can create significant attack vectors that compromise entire system security models.
Acer Control Center Vulnerability
The practical impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it enables complete system compromise through remote exploitation.
Attackers can leverage the misconfigured Named Pipe to execute arbitrary code with NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM privileges, effectively gaining full administrative control over affected systems.
This level of access allows attackers to install malware, access sensitive data, modify system configurations, and establish persistent presence on compromised machines.
The remote nature of the attack vector significantly amplifies the threat, as attackers do not require physical access or existing credentials to exploit the vulnerability.
Network-based attacks become possible, potentially allowing cybercriminals to target multiple Acer devices across enterprise environments or home networks where the Control Center software is installed.
The vulnerability affects all devices running Acer Control Center software, spanning the company’s extensive product portfolio including laptops, desktops, and other computing devices.
Enterprise environments may face particular risk if multiple Acer devices are deployed with the vulnerable software, creating potential for widespread compromise through automated scanning and exploitation techniques.
Remediation Measures
Acer has responded to the vulnerability disclosure by releasing an updated version of Control Center software that addresses the Named Pipe permission issues.
The company recommends that all users immediately download and install the latest version available through their official Drivers and Manuals website.
System administrators should prioritize this update across all organizational devices running Acer hardware.
The security fix likely involves implementing proper authentication mechanisms for Named Pipe connections and restricting access permissions to prevent unauthorized interaction with privileged service functions.
Users should also consider additional security measures such as network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious Named Pipe activity until patches are fully deployed.
This incident highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices in system service development and the need for regular security assessments of privileged Windows services.
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