CVE-2019-16861
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 · uneditedCode42 server through 7.0.2 for Windows has an Untrusted Search Path. In certain situations, a non-administrative attacker on the local server could create or modify a dynamic-link library (DLL). The Code42 service could then load it at runtime, and potentially execute arbitrary code at an elevated privilege on the local server.
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 confidenceCode42 server through version 7.0.2 on Windows is vulnerable to an untrusted search path issue where the service loads dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) from locations writable by non-administrative local users. A local attacker can place a malicious DLL in a search path location, causing the elevated Code42 service to load and execute arbitrary code.
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<= 7.0.2CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/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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Identify if Code42 server is installedCheck for Code42 installation directory in Program Files (typically C:\Program Files\Code42 or C:\Program Files (x86)\Code42), or query the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries containing 'Code42'Affected if Code42 server is found on the system
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Check the installed Code42 server versionLocate the Code42 executable or version file within the installation directory and compare the version number to 7.0.2. The version may be displayed in the executable properties or contained in a version.txt, version.ini, or similar file in the installation folderAffected if The installed version is 7.0.2 or lower
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Verify the Code42 service runs with elevated privilegesOpen Services (services.msc), locate the Code42 service, right-click and select Properties, and examine the 'Log on as' account. Also check if the service runs under LocalSystem, a domain admin, or other privileged accountAffected if The service runs under a privileged account (such as LocalSystem or an administrator) and is therefore vulnerable to privilege escalation via DLL hijacking
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Check file system permissions on DLL search path directoriesExamine directory permissions on Code42 installation subdirectories, system PATH directories, and working directories. Use icacls or right-click Properties > Security to check if standard users have Write or Modify permissions on directories from which the service may load DLLsAffected if Any directory in the DLL search path is writable by non-administrative users, allowing placement of malicious DLLs that the elevated service will load
A user is affected if Code42 server version 7.0.2 or lower is installed, runs as a privileged service, and has DLL search path directories writable by standard users.
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 dataUpdate Code42 server to a version beyond 7.0.2 that includes the security fix, or implement secure DLL search path ordering using Windows API functions like SetDllDirectory to restrict DLL loading to trusted directories.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-16861 — 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-2019-16861 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
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