CVE-2018-25320
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 · uneditedACL Analytics versions 11.x through 13.0.0.579 contain an arbitrary code execution vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands by leveraging the EXECUTE function. Attackers can use bitsadmin to download malicious PowerShell scripts and execute them with system privileges to establish reverse shells and gain complete system control.
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 confidenceACL Analytics versions 11.x through 13.0.0.579 contain an arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the EXECUTE function that allows attackers to download and execute malicious PowerShell scripts via bitsadmin, achieving system-level privileges and complete system control.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.
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Confirm ACL Analytics installationCheck for ACL Analytics in installed programs (Windows: Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall or look for ACL Analytics folder in Program Files)Affected if ACL Analytics is installed on the system
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Identify installed ACL Analytics versionCheck the application version - typically found in Help > About within the ACL Analytics client, or check the executable properties of the main ACL executable (often named ACL.exe or similar)Affected if Version falls within 11.x through 13.0.0.579 (inclusive)
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Determine if EXECUTE function is accessibleWithin ACL Analytics, verify whether the EXECUTE command/function is available in the script environment - this is a built-in command that allows running external programsAffected if The EXECUTE function is present and accessible to users (it is a built-in feature in affected versions)
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Audit for suspicious bitsadmin or PowerShell activityReview system process logs, Windows Event Logs (especially Security and PowerShell logs), and network logs for bitsadmin.exe downloading files or PowerShell executing scripts originating from ACL Analytics execution contextsAffected if Unusual bitsadmin download commands or PowerShell script executions are observed, especially from ACL-related processes
A system is affected if ACL Analytics versions 11.x through 13.0.0.579 are installed and the EXECUTE function is accessible, allowing potential arbitrary command execution.
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 dataUpgrade ACL Analytics to a version newer than 13.0.0.579. Until then, restrict access to the application, monitor for suspicious bitsadmin/PowerShell activity, and disable the EXECUTE function if possible.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-25320 — 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-2018-25320 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
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- 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