Escalation ((full)) | Nssm-2.24 Privilege

While is a legitimate tool used to manage Windows services, it is often central to privilege escalation attacks due to improper deployment permissions rather than a flaw in its own source code .

Ensure that standard users do not have write access to directories in the service path (e.g., C:\Program Files\ , C:\Program Files (x86)\ ). 4. Implement Security Monitoring Monitor for the creation of new services.

: When the system reboots or the service restarts, Windows executes the malicious binary with high privileges, granting the attacker full administrative control over the machine. Exploit Step-by-Step: From User to SYSTEM nssm-2.24 privilege escalation

CVE-2024-51448 Severity: Medium (CVSS: 6.7) Attack Vector: Local (AV:L) Privileges Required: High (PR:H)

The is a popular, lightweight tool used to turn Windows applications, scripts, and batches into managed services. By managing the service lifecycle, it ensures applications restart automatically if they crash. However, older versions, specifically NSSM 2.24 , have been associated with a critical vulnerability— Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) —that can allow a low-privileged user to gain NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM rights. While is a legitimate tool used to manage

Newer versions of NSSM (2.24 is the last stable release as of 2016; no official updates after) do not address these privilege escalation vectors. However, the problem is less about a bug in NSSM and more about combined with NSSM’s lack of built-in security hardening. Attackers target version 2.24 because:

Knowing this will allow me to provide specific configuration scripts or audit commands for your workflow. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more Share public link Implement Security Monitoring Monitor for the creation of

The attacker stops and restarts the service (if they have SERVICE_START and SERVICE_STOP rights) or waits for a system reboot: