CVE-2016-20059
Iobit Malware Fighter ≤ 4.3.1
Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2016-20059 is a high-severity Unquoted Search Path or Element (CWE-428) vulnerability in Iobit Malware Fighter. Its CVSS base score is 8.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 7th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-15 (Development Process, Standards, and Tools) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2016-20059 is an unquoted service path vulnerability affecting IObit Malware Fighter version 4.3.1, specifically in the IMFservice and LiveUpdateSvc Windows services. This flaw, classified under CWE-428, arises when the service executable paths are not properly quoted, enabling local privilege escalation. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high impact with low complexity and low privileges required.
Local attackers with low-level privileges can exploit this vulnerability by placing a malicious executable in a directory along the unquoted service path. When the affected service restarts or the system reboots, the malicious executable executes with LocalSystem privileges, allowing full control over the system, including high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
Advisories and resources, including the Vulncheck advisory on the IObit Malware Fighter unquoted service path privilege escalation and an Exploit-DB entry (exploit 40525), detail the issue and provide proof-of-concept exploitation. IObit product pages offer downloads for Malware Fighter, potentially including updated versions, though specific patch details are not outlined in the provided references.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2016-10867
Vulnerability Data
IObit Malware Fighter 4.3.1 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability in the IMFservice and LiveUpdateSvc services that allows local attackers to escalate privileges. Attackers can insert a malicious executable file in the unquoted service path and trigger privilege escalation when…
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the service restarts or the system reboots, executing code with LocalSystem privileges.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation can discover unquoted search paths through static analysis or dynamic test cases.
Documented development standards and tools can mandate proper quoting and escaping of path elements.
Engineering principles can require safe construction and quoting of search paths and command elements.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly prevent path-handling flaws such as unquoted elements during development.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Enforcing controlled software installation can prevent unquoted search-path elements in executables and scripts.
Secure development lifecycle practices include input validation and path handling that reduce unquoted search-path weaknesses.
Secure system architecture and engineering principles require safe path construction and quoting conventions.
Secure coding standards directly mandate quoting search paths and avoiding unsafe path construction.
Security testing in development can detect unquoted search-path issues before deployment.
Change-management processes can enforce review of path-handling changes that might introduce unquoted elements.