Bundled version of Node.js simplifies executing downloaded code
Adobe Creative Cloud Experience, a service installed via the Creative Cloud installer for Windows, includes a Node.js executable that can be abused to infect and compromise a victim's PC.
Michael Taggart, a security researcher, recently demonstrated that the node.exe instance accompanying Adobe's service could be exploited by writing a simple proof-of-concept JavaScript file that spawns the Windows Calculator app.
"I have confirmed that the node.exe packaged with the Adobe Customer Experience service can run any JavaScript you point it to," he explained to The Register.
[. . .] Security researchers commenting on Taggart's finding said they'd been under the impression the bundled Node runtime would only execute files signed by Adobe, but evidently that's not the case.
[. . .] "Because the JavaScript is getting invoked by path in C:\Program Files, it would be extremely difficult to detect from a monitoring/threat hunting perspective," explained Taggart, who added that he was able to get his own custom file dropper to run and execute a command-and-control agent without any warning from Windows Defender.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 11 2022, @10:04AM
OMG, did that "security researcher" warn us about the dangers of cmd.exe, cscript.exe and powershell too?
Seriously, if the attacker can already do that they can get the victim to run other stuff too.
Maybe he should also go point out similar Linux "vulnerabilities" - /bin/sh /bin/bash /usr/bin/perl /usr/bin/python etc