CVE-2018-13013
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedImproper check of unusual conditions when launching msiexec.exe in safensec.com (SysWatch service) in SAFE'N'SEC SoftControl/SafenSoft SysWatch, SoftControl/SafenSoft TPSecure, and SoftControl/SafenSoft Enterprise Suite before 4.4.9 allows the local attacker to bypass a code-signing protection mechanism and install/execute an unauthorized program by modifying the system configuration and installing a forged MSI file. (The intended behavior is that the component SysWatch does not allow installation of MSI files unless they are signed by a limited list of certificates.)
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe SysWatch service in SafenSoft products fails to properly validate unusual conditions when launching msiexec.exe, allowing a local attacker to bypass code-signing protection by modifying system configuration and installing forged MSI files. The intended protection mechanism blocks unsigned MSI installers, but an improper check enables circumvention.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 4.4.9< 4.4.9< 4.4.9CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify if SafenSoft products are installedCheck Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries containing 'SafenSoft', 'SysWatch', 'Tpsecure', or check Program Files for SafenSoft directoriesAffected if Any SafenSoft product (Enterprise Suite, SysWatch, or TpSecure) is found installed on the system
-
Determine installed SafenSoft versionQuery the installed version from the registry or the product's main executable properties. Look for version information in the product's About or Help section, or check file version of the main service executable (typically SysWatch service binary)Affected if The installed version is lower than 4.4.9 (e.g., 4.4.8, 4.4.0, etc.)
-
Verify SysWatch service is present and runningOpen Services console (services.msc) and look for 'SysWatch' service, or run 'sc query SysWatch' command. Also check for processes named SysWatch.exe or related service processesAffected if The SysWatch service exists and is running on the system
-
Check MSI execution protection configurationExamine the SafenSoft product configuration files or settings panel for code-signing validation settings related to msiexec.exe. Look for options controlling unsigned MSI installation blockingAffected if Code-signing protection for MSI files is enabled in the product configuration
-
Verify vulnerable msiexec.exe validation behaviorReview SysWatch service logs or event logs for entries showing how msiexec.exe launches are validated. Check if the service performs improper validation of unusual conditions during MSI executionAffected if The SysWatch service performs inadequate validation of msiexec.exe launch conditions (this requires manual code review or specific testing)
A system is affected if it has SafenSoft Enterprise Suite, SysWatch, or TpSecure installed with a version lower than 4.4.9 AND the code-signing protection feature is enabled for MSI files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data4.4.9
Update affected SAFE'N'SEC/SafenSoft products (SoftControl, TPSecure, Enterprise Suite) to version 4.4.9 or later to remediate the code-signing bypass vulnerability.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-13013 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-13013 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data