The Rapid7 Insight Agent (versions > 4.1.0.2) is vulnerable to a local privilege escalation attack that allows users to gain SYSTEM level control of a Windows host. Upon startup the agent service attempts to load an OpenSSL configuration file from a non-existent directory that is writable by standard users. By planting a crafted openssl.cnf file an attacker can trick the high-privilege service into executing arbitrary commands.
This effectively permits an unprivileged user to bypass security controls and achieve a full host compromise under the agent’s SYSTEM level access.
Attack Parameters
Attack Vector
Local
Requires local access
Attack Complexity
Low
Easy to exploit
Attack Requirements
None
No additional conditions
Privileges Required
None
No privileges needed
User Interaction
None
No user interaction needed
Impact Assessment
Confidentiality
High
Complete data leak
Integrity
High
Complete data modification
Availability
Low
Partial disruption
CVSS Vector v4.0