Quest KACE Desktop Authority insecure named pipe permissions leading to SYSTEM/local admin RCE
Quest KACE Desktop Authority (through 11.3.1) exposes a SYSTEM-run agent service IPC endpoint via the named pipe ScriptLogic_Server_NamedPipe_9300 (also accessible remotely over SMB). The pipe’s access controls are overly permissive, allowing any authenticated domain user to connect and invoke high-risk RPC-style operations implemented by the service (custom MFC CArchive-based protocol). Supported operations include AdminExec (arbitrary command execution with elevated/local admin context), DllInjection (inject an arbitrary DLL into a specified process, including loading from a UNC path), InvokeCOM (instantiate/invoke COM objects under an elevated token), ImpersonateAdmin (token impersonation), and Credentials (returning the Desktop Authority service account username/password in plaintext). This design/permission flaw enables network-based abuse of privileged functionality on hosts running the Desktop Authority agent.
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A named-pipe exposure in Quest KACE Desktop Authority that allows any authenticated domain user to connect over the network and invoke dangerous IPC operations (including command execution), resulting in remote code execution as SYSTEM on hosts running the agent.
A named-pipe exposure in Quest KACE Desktop Authority enabling authenticated domain users to perform dangerous IPC operations (including command execution), resulting in remote code execution with SYSTEM privileges on hosts running the agent.
An insecurely-permissioned Windows named pipe exposed by the Quest KACE Desktop Authority agent (running as SYSTEM) that allows any authenticated domain user to connect remotely over SMB and invoke privileged IPC operations (e.g., arbitrary command execution, DLL injection, credential retrieval, COM invocation), resulting in remote code execution with local administrator/SYSTEM-level impact on affected hosts.
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