CVE-2022-50903: Wondershare MobileTrans Escalation Flaw

CVE-2022-50903 Overview

CVE-2022-50903 is an unquoted service path vulnerability affecting Wondershare MobileTrans version 3.5.9. The vulnerability exists in the ElevationService component, which uses an unquoted file path for the service executable. This misconfiguration allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code with elevated LocalSystem privileges by placing specially crafted executables in specific filesystem locations that are traversed during service startup.

Unquoted service path vulnerabilities (CWE-428) occur when Windows services reference executable paths containing spaces without proper quotation marks. Windows interprets these paths ambiguously, attempting to locate executables at each space boundary in the path hierarchy. Attackers with local access can exploit this behavior by placing malicious binaries at these alternative path locations.

Critical Impact

Local privilege escalation to LocalSystem permissions through malicious executable placement in service search paths

Affected Products

• Wondershare MobileTrans 3.5.9
• ElevationService component

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-13 - CVE CVE-2022-50903 published to NVD
• 2026-01-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-50903

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the ElevationService component of Wondershare MobileTrans 3.5.9. When the application is installed, the service is registered with an unquoted path that likely contains spaces (common in Windows installations under C:\Program Files).

During service startup, the Windows Service Control Manager (SCM) parses the unquoted path and attempts to locate the executable by testing each space-delimited segment of the path. For example, if the service path is C:\Program Files\Wondershare\MobileTrans\ElevationService.exe, Windows will attempt to execute in order:

1. C:\Program.exe
2. C:\Program Files\Wondershare\MobileTrans\ElevationService.exe

An attacker with write access to any of the intermediate path locations can place a malicious executable that will be executed with the service's LocalSystem privileges before the legitimate service binary is found.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper service registration in the Windows registry where the ImagePath value for the ElevationService lacks quotation marks around the executable path. This is a common configuration oversight during software installation, particularly when the installation path contains spaces. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-428 (Unquoted Search Path or Element).

Attack Vector

This vulnerability requires local access to the target system. The attacker must have write permissions to one of the directories in the path search sequence. Exploitation typically requires:

1. Identifying the unquoted service path via registry inspection or service enumeration
2. Determining which intermediate paths are writable by the current user
3. Placing a malicious executable (e.g., Program.exe) in a writable location
4. Waiting for or triggering a service restart

The attack requires local access but no user interaction. Successful exploitation grants the attacker code execution with LocalSystem privileges, effectively providing complete control over the affected system.

For detailed technical information and proof-of-concept details, refer to the Exploit-DB #50756 advisory and the VulnCheck Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-50903

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected executable files named Program.exe in root directories or path segments like C:\Program.exe
• Unusual service startup failures or delays for the ElevationService
• New or modified executables in C:\Program Files\ or C:\Program Files\Wondershare\ directories
• Evidence of privilege escalation attempts in Windows Security Event logs

Detection Strategies

• Use Windows Security Center or third-party tools to scan for unquoted service paths across all registered services
• Monitor for file creation events in sensitive path locations such as C:\ and C:\Program Files\
• Deploy endpoint detection rules that alert on executables with names matching path segments (e.g., Program.exe, Program Files.exe)
• Audit Windows Service Control Manager (SCM) logs for service startup anomalies

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Windows Event ID 7045 (Service Installation) logging to detect new service registrations
• Configure file integrity monitoring on common unquoted path exploitation targets
• Implement SentinelOne behavioral AI to detect privilege escalation attempts through service abuse patterns
• Review service configurations periodically using tools like wmic service get name,displayname,pathname,startmode

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-50903

Immediate Actions Required

• Audit the Wondershare MobileTrans ElevationService registry entry and manually quote the ImagePath value
• Restrict write permissions on root directories and intermediate path segments (e.g., C:\Program Files\)
• Consider disabling or removing the ElevationService if not required for core functionality
• Apply any available updates from the Wondershare Official Website

Patch Information

Users should check for updated versions of Wondershare MobileTrans that address this vulnerability. Visit the Wondershare Official Website for the latest software releases and security updates.

If no patch is available, the unquoted service path can be manually corrected by modifying the Windows registry. This requires administrator privileges and should be performed with caution.

Workarounds

• Manually add quotation marks around the ElevationService ImagePath in the Windows registry at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ElevationService
• Restrict write access to directories in the service path hierarchy using NTFS permissions
• Use application whitelisting solutions to prevent unauthorized executable execution in sensitive directories
• Consider uninstalling affected versions of MobileTrans until a patched version is available

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