CVE-2022-50900: Wondershare Dr.Fone Privilege Escalation

CVE-2022-50900 Overview

CVE-2022-50900 is an unquoted service path vulnerability affecting Wondershare Dr.Fone version 12.0.18. This security flaw allows local users to execute arbitrary code with elevated system privileges by exploiting a misconfigured Windows service path. When the service path contains spaces and is not properly quoted, attackers can place a malicious executable in a strategic location that Windows will execute with LocalSystem permissions during service startup.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can achieve full system compromise by leveraging the unquoted service path to execute malicious code with LocalSystem privileges, potentially leading to complete host takeover.

Affected Products

• Wondershare Dr.Fone version 12.0.18
• Wondershare InstallAssist service component

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-13 - CVE CVE-2022-50900 published to NVD
• 2026-01-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-50900

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-428 (Unquoted Search Path or Element), a well-known Windows service misconfiguration issue. The Wondershare InstallAssist service registers its executable path without proper quotation marks. When Windows services are configured with paths containing spaces that lack quotes, the operating system's path resolution behavior can be exploited.

When Windows attempts to start the service, it parses the unquoted path and tries multiple potential executable locations. For example, if a service path is C:\Program Files\Wondershare\Dr.Fone\service.exe, Windows will sequentially attempt to execute C:\Program.exe, then C:\Program Files\Wondershare\Dr.exe, before finally reaching the intended executable. An attacker with write access to any of these intermediary paths can plant a malicious executable that will be executed with the service's privileges.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper configuration during the software installation process. The Wondershare Dr.Fone installer registers the Windows service without enclosing the service binary path in quotation marks. This oversight creates an exploitable condition where the Windows Service Control Manager incorrectly parses the path, allowing for executable hijacking. Proper service registration should always quote paths containing spaces to prevent path resolution ambiguity.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the target system. An attacker must have sufficient permissions to write a malicious executable to one of the path locations that Windows will attempt before resolving the correct service binary. Since the Wondershare InstallAssist service runs with LocalSystem privileges, successful exploitation grants the attacker the highest privilege level on the Windows system, enabling complete system compromise, persistence mechanisms, and lateral movement capabilities.

The exploitation process involves identifying the unquoted service path, determining a writable location in the path resolution chain, placing a malicious executable at that location, and then either waiting for a system restart or triggering a service restart to execute the payload with elevated privileges.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-50900

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected executable files in root directories such as C:\Program.exe or similar truncated path locations
• New processes spawning with LocalSystem privileges from non-standard executable paths
• Service Control Manager events indicating service startup failures or unexpected service binary paths
• File system modifications in directories that should be read-only for standard users

Detection Strategies

• Query Windows services for unquoted paths using PowerShell: Get-WmiObject win32_service | Where-Object {$_.PathName -notlike '"*"' -and $_.PathName -like '* *'}
• Monitor for file creation events in C:\ root and C:\Program Files\ parent directories
• Implement application allowlisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries
• Use SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect anomalous service startup patterns and privilege escalation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed Windows Security Event logging for service installation and modification (Event IDs 4697, 7045)
• Configure file integrity monitoring on common unquoted path exploitation locations
• Monitor process creation events for services spawning from unexpected executable paths
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify privilege escalation attempts in real-time

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-50900

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit all installed services for unquoted paths using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) queries
• Remove or quarantine any suspicious executables found in path resolution exploitation locations
• Update Wondershare Dr.Fone to the latest available version from the Wondershare Official Site
• Restrict write permissions on C:\ root and C:\Program Files\ directories to prevent malicious executable placement

Patch Information

Organizations should check for security updates from Wondershare that address this unquoted service path vulnerability. Refer to the VulnCheck Advisory for detailed technical information. Additional exploit details are documented at Exploit-DB #50813.

Workarounds

• Manually correct the service path by adding quotation marks around the full executable path in the Windows Registry under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\
• Temporarily disable the Wondershare InstallAssist service if not required for business operations
• Implement application control policies to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries in common exploitation paths
• Use Group Policy to restrict service binary path modifications and enforce proper path quoting

# PowerShell command to identify unquoted service paths
Get-WmiObject win32_service | Where-Object {$_.PathName -notlike '"*"' -and $_.PathName -like '* *'} | Select-Object Name, PathName, StartMode

# PowerShell command to fix unquoted path (run as Administrator)
# Replace SERVICE_NAME with actual service name and correct path
# sc.exe config "SERVICE_NAME" binPath= "\"C:\Program Files\Wondershare\Dr.Fone\service.exe\""