CVE-2019-25292: Alps HID Monitor Privilege Escalation

CVE-2019-25292 Overview

Alps HID Monitor Service version 8.1.0.10 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability (CWE-428) that allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability exists in the service executable path C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\HidMonitorSvc.exe, which lacks proper quotation marks around the path string. Attackers with local access can exploit this flaw by placing a malicious executable in a location that Windows will parse before reaching the legitimate service binary, enabling privilege escalation to SYSTEM-level access.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can achieve privilege escalation to SYSTEM-level access by exploiting the unquoted service path, potentially gaining complete control over the affected system.

Affected Products

• Alps HID Monitor Service version 8.1.0.10
• Systems with Alps pointing device drivers installed
• Windows systems with the vulnerable HidMonitorSvc.exe service registered

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-06 - CVE CVE-2019-25292 published to NVD
• 2026-02-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25292

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as an Unquoted Search Path or Element vulnerability (CWE-428). When Windows services are registered with paths containing spaces that are not enclosed in quotation marks, the operating system's path parsing behavior creates an exploitable condition.

In this case, the Alps HID Monitor Service is registered with the unquoted path C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\HidMonitorSvc.exe. Due to how Windows parses this path, it attempts to execute files in the following order:

1. C:\Program.exe
2. C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\HidMonitorSvc.exe

If an attacker can place a malicious executable named Program.exe in the C:\ root directory, Windows will execute it with the privileges of the service—typically SYSTEM—before ever reaching the legitimate service binary.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper handling of the service executable path during installation. The Alps HID Monitor Service installer fails to enclose the ImagePath registry value in quotation marks, leaving the path vulnerable to Windows' space-delimited parsing behavior. This is a common oversight in service registration where paths containing spaces are not properly quoted.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to have access to the target system. The attacker must have write permissions to either the C:\ root directory or another directory along the unquoted path. Once a malicious executable is placed in the appropriate location and the service restarts (either manually, through system reboot, or via service recovery options), the attacker's code executes with elevated privileges.

The exploitation process involves:

1. Identifying the unquoted service path in the Windows registry
2. Creating a malicious executable (e.g., Program.exe)
3. Placing the executable in C:\ or another exploitable path location
4. Waiting for or triggering a service restart
5. The malicious code executes with SYSTEM privileges

Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available in the Exploit-DB #47605 entry. Additional advisory information can be found in the VulnCheck Advisory on Alps HID.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25292

Indicators of Compromise

• Presence of unexpected executables in C:\ root directory, particularly Program.exe
• Suspicious executable files in C:\Program Files\ named Apoint2K.exe
• Anomalous process creation events from service execution context
• Unexpected child processes spawned by the HidMonitorSvc service

Detection Strategies

• Monitor the Windows registry key HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ApHidMonitorService for the ImagePath value to verify if it contains quotes
• Implement file integrity monitoring on the C:\ root directory and C:\Program Files\ directory for newly created executables
• Use Windows Event Log monitoring for Service Control Manager events (Event ID 7045) indicating new service installations
• Deploy endpoint detection rules to identify processes executing from unexpected locations with SYSTEM privileges

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable process creation auditing (Event ID 4688) with command-line logging to detect suspicious service-related activity
• Configure SentinelOne behavioral AI to detect privilege escalation attempts through service path exploitation
• Implement periodic scanning for unquoted service paths across the enterprise using PowerShell or vulnerability scanners
• Monitor for file creation events in root directories and common exploitation paths

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25292

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit all systems for the presence of Alps HID Monitor Service version 8.1.0.10
• Manually correct the unquoted service path by adding quotation marks to the registry entry
• Remove any unauthorized executables from the C:\ root directory and other potentially exploitable paths
• Restrict write permissions on the C:\ root directory and C:\Program Files\ directory to administrators only
• Consider disabling the Alps HID Monitor Service if not required for system functionality

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. Users should contact Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. for updated driver packages that address this issue. Until an official patch is released, manual remediation through registry modification is recommended.

Workarounds

• Manually add quotation marks around the ImagePath value in the Windows registry for the affected service
• Restrict NTFS permissions on potential exploitation directories to prevent unauthorized executable placement
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries
• Consider removing the Alps HID Monitor Service if the touchpad/pointing device functionality can be managed through alternative drivers

# Registry fix to quote the service path (run as Administrator in Command Prompt)
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ApHidMonitorService" /v ImagePath /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d "\"C:\Program Files\Apoint2K\HidMonitorSvc.exe\"" /f