CVE-2023-38042: Ivanti Secure Access Client LPE Flaw

CVE-2023-38042 Overview

A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in Ivanti Secure Access Client for Windows that allows a low privileged user to execute code as SYSTEM. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to enterprise environments where Ivanti Secure Access Client is deployed for remote access and VPN connectivity. Successful exploitation enables attackers who have already gained initial access to a system to elevate their privileges to the highest level on Windows systems.

Critical Impact

Low privileged users can escalate to SYSTEM-level privileges, potentially gaining complete control over affected Windows systems and enabling lateral movement across enterprise networks.

Affected Products

• Ivanti Secure Access Client for Windows
• Microsoft Windows (as the underlying operating system)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-05-31 - CVE-2023-38042 published to NVD
• 2025-06-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-38042

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2023-38042 is classified under CWE-250 (Execution with Unnecessary Privileges), indicating that the Ivanti Secure Access Client executes operations with elevated privileges that are not required for the intended functionality. This design flaw creates an avenue for privilege escalation attacks.

The vulnerability requires local access to the target system, meaning an attacker must first establish a foothold on the machine through other means such as phishing, social engineering, or exploitation of another vulnerability. Once local access is obtained, the attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges—the highest privilege level on Windows operating systems.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the execution of certain operations with unnecessary elevated privileges (CWE-250). The Ivanti Secure Access Client likely runs specific components or services with SYSTEM-level permissions when lower privilege levels would suffice. This architectural weakness allows low-privileged users to hijack these elevated execution contexts.

This type of vulnerability commonly manifests when:

• Service executables run with excessive permissions
• File or registry operations are performed under elevated contexts unnecessarily
• Privileged helper processes can be manipulated by lower-privileged users

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2023-38042 is local, requiring the attacker to have existing access to the target Windows system with a low-privileged user account. The attack complexity is low, meaning no special conditions or sophisticated techniques are required beyond initial system access.

A typical attack scenario involves:

1. An attacker gains initial access to a Windows system with the Ivanti Secure Access Client installed
2. The attacker identifies the vulnerable component running with SYSTEM privileges
3. The attacker manipulates the vulnerable component to execute arbitrary code
4. Code execution occurs in the SYSTEM context, granting full administrative control

As no verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability, specific exploitation details are documented in the Ivanti Security Advisory May 2024.

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-38042

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected processes spawning as SYSTEM from Ivanti Secure Access Client components
• Unusual child processes originating from Ivanti-related services or executables
• Anomalous file or registry modifications by Ivanti Secure Access Client processes
• Event logs indicating privilege escalation attempts or unexpected service behavior

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Windows Security Event Logs for Event ID 4688 (process creation) showing unexpected SYSTEM-level processes spawned by Ivanti components
• Implement endpoint detection rules to alert on suspicious parent-child process relationships involving Ivanti Secure Access Client
• Deploy behavioral analytics to detect privilege escalation patterns from standard user accounts
• Audit service configurations for Ivanti Secure Access Client to identify potential manipulation

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed process auditing on systems with Ivanti Secure Access Client installed
• Configure SIEM rules to correlate low-privileged user activity with subsequent SYSTEM-level process execution
• Monitor file integrity for Ivanti Secure Access Client installation directories and configuration files
• Implement real-time alerting for suspicious service account activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-38042

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Ivanti Secure Access Client to the latest patched version as specified in the vendor advisory
• Review and audit all systems with Ivanti Secure Access Client installed for signs of compromise
• Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement potential if exploitation occurs
• Apply the principle of least privilege across all user accounts

Patch Information

Ivanti has released security updates addressing this vulnerability as part of their May 2024 security advisory. Organizations should consult the Ivanti Security Advisory May 2024 for specific version information and download links for the patched software.

It is critical to apply vendor patches promptly as this vulnerability enables privilege escalation to SYSTEM level, which could facilitate complete system compromise and lateral movement across enterprise networks.

Workarounds

• Restrict local access to systems running Ivanti Secure Access Client to trusted users only
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution
• Enable Windows Defender Credential Guard and other virtualization-based security features where available
• Monitor and restrict service account permissions for Ivanti-related services until patches can be applied

# Verify Ivanti Secure Access Client version on Windows
# Run from Command Prompt or PowerShell
wmic product where "name like '%Ivanti Secure Access%'" get name, version

# Check for running Ivanti services
sc query | findstr /i "ivanti"

# Review service configuration for unnecessary privileges
sc qc "IvantiSecureAccessService"