CVE-2025-0834 Overview
CVE-2025-0834 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Wondershare Dr.Fone version 13.5.21. The flaw exists in the ElevationService.exe binary located at C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices\ElevationService.exe. Insecure file system permissions on the ProgramData path allow a low-privileged local user to overwrite the executable with an attacker-controlled binary. Because Windows executes this service under the SYSTEM account, the replaced binary runs with the highest local privilege. The weakness maps to CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Critical Impact
A local authenticated attacker can replace a SYSTEM-executed service binary and gain full SYSTEM-level control of the host.
Affected Products
- Wondershare Dr.Fone 13.5.21
- Windows installations using the wsServices elevation component
- Endpoints where users have write access to C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices\
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-01-30 - CVE-2025-0834 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-0834
Vulnerability Analysis
Wondershare Dr.Fone installs a helper service named ElevationService.exe under C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices\. The ProgramData directory tree is writable by standard users by default when applications fail to apply hardened Access Control Lists (ACLs) during installation. Dr.Fone 13.5.21 leaves the service binary with permissive filesystem permissions.
Because the associated Windows service runs as LocalSystem, any executable placed at the expected path will inherit NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM privileges upon execution. This produces a straightforward privilege escalation chain from an ordinary interactive user session to SYSTEM.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper privilege management [CWE-269] combined with insecure default permissions on a directory used to store a privileged service binary. The installer does not restrict write access on wsServices\ElevationService.exe, so integrity of the SYSTEM-level executable is not enforced by the operating system.
Attack Vector
The attack requires local access with low privileges. An attacker overwrites C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices\ElevationService.exe with a malicious payload. The next time the elevation service is triggered, either through normal Dr.Fone usage or a service restart, Windows launches the attacker's binary as SYSTEM. No user interaction is required beyond routine invocation of the service. See the INCIBE Security Notice for the vendor advisory details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0834
Indicators of Compromise
- Modification of C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices\ElevationService.exe outside of a legitimate Dr.Fone installer or update event.
- Unexpected file hash for ElevationService.exe when compared against the vendor-shipped binary.
- Child processes spawned by ElevationService.exe running as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM that are not part of the documented Dr.Fone toolset.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor file write, rename, and replace operations targeting C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices\ by non-installer processes.
- Alert on Authenticode signature changes on ElevationService.exe, including transitions from a Wondershare-signed binary to unsigned or differently signed code.
- Correlate service start events for the Wondershare elevation service with subsequent SYSTEM-context process creation of unusual binaries.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable Windows Security event ID 4663 and Sysmon event ID 11 for the wsServices directory to record all file modification attempts.
- Baseline the SHA-256 hash of ElevationService.exe across the fleet and flag deviations.
- Audit ACLs on C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\ to detect drift toward user-writable permissions.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0834
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory endpoints running Wondershare Dr.Fone 13.5.21 and prioritize them for update or removal.
- Restrict write permissions on C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices\ to Administrators and SYSTEM only.
- Disable the Wondershare elevation service on hosts where Dr.Fone is not required.
Patch Information
Refer to the INCIBE Security Notice for vendor guidance. Upgrade Dr.Fone to a version later than 13.5.21 once a fixed release is available. Verify that the updated installer applies restrictive ACLs to the wsServices directory and that ElevationService.exe is protected against modification by standard users.
Workarounds
- Manually apply an ACL that removes Users and Authenticated Users write access from the wsServices directory and its contents.
- Uninstall Wondershare Dr.Fone 13.5.21 on systems where it is not business-critical until a patched version is deployed.
- Configure application allowlisting to block execution of unsigned or non-Wondershare binaries from the wsServices path.
# Configuration example: harden ACLs on the vulnerable directory (run as Administrator)
icacls "C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices" /inheritance:r
icacls "C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices" /grant:r "SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)F" "Administrators:(OI)(CI)F" "Users:(OI)(CI)RX"
icacls "C:\ProgramData\Wondershare\wsServices\ElevationService.exe" /grant:r "SYSTEM:F" "Administrators:F"
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