📄 Description (English)
Spy Emergency build 23.0.205 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability in the SpyEmrgHealth and SpyEmrgSrv services that allows local attackers to escalate privileges by inserting malicious executables. Attackers can place executable files in the unquoted service path and trigger service restart or system reboot to execute code with LocalSystem privileges.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2016-20056 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Spy Emergency antivirus software (build 23.0.205) affecting the SpyEmrgHealth and SpyEmrgSrv services. The unquoted service path vulnerability allows authenticated local attackers to execute arbitrary code with LocalSystem privileges by placing malicious executables in the service path. While no public exploit is available and the vulnerability is 8+ years old, it remains critical for organizations still running legacy Spy Emergency installations.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 26, 2026 22:50
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability primarily impacts Saudi government agencies, educational institutions, and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) that may still rely on legacy Spy Emergency installations for endpoint protection. Government entities under NCA oversight and organizations subject to SAMA regulations in the financial sector face elevated risk if Spy Emergency is deployed as part of their security infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments with shared workstations or multi-user systems common in Saudi government offices and educational institutions, where local attackers could escalate privileges to compromise sensitive data or deploy malware.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government
Education
Healthcare
Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Financial Services
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
6.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
Immediate Actions:
1. Inventory all systems running Spy Emergency build 23.0.205 or earlier versions
2. Disable or remove Spy Emergency if alternative endpoint protection is available
3. Implement strict file system permissions on service installation directories to prevent unauthorized file placement
4. Restrict local administrative access and enforce principle of least privilege
Patching Guidance:
5. Upgrade to the latest version of Spy Emergency if available from the vendor
6. If upgrade is not possible, contact the vendor for security patches or end-of-life guidance
7. Consider migrating to actively maintained antivirus solutions (Windows Defender, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, etc.)
Compensating Controls:
8. Implement application whitelisting on affected systems to prevent unauthorized executable execution
9. Deploy file integrity monitoring (FIM) on service directories to detect unauthorized file placement
10. Enable Windows Event Logging for service start/stop events and privilege escalation attempts
11. Use Group Policy to restrict service restart capabilities to authorized administrators only
12. Monitor for suspicious process creation with LocalSystem privileges
Detection Rules:
13. Alert on any executable files created in C:\Program Files\Spy Emergency\ or service installation paths
14. Monitor for SpyEmrgHealth or SpyEmrgSrv service restart events followed by unexpected process execution
15. Track failed and successful privilege escalation attempts in Windows Security Event Log (Event ID 4672, 4673)
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. حصر جميع الأنظمة التي تعمل بـ Spy Emergency الإصدار 23.0.205 أو الإصدارات الأقدم
2. تعطيل أو إزالة Spy Emergency إذا كان هناك حل حماية بديل متاح
3. تطبيق أذونات نظام الملفات الصارمة على مجلدات تثبيت الخدمات لمنع وضع الملفات غير المصرح بها
4. تقييد الوصول الإداري المحلي وفرض مبدأ الامتيازات الأقل
إرشادات التصحيح:
5. الترقية إلى أحدث إصدار من Spy Emergency إن أمكن من المورد
6. إذا لم يكن الترقية ممكنة، اتصل بالمورد للحصول على تصحيحات أمنية أو إرشادات نهاية الحياة
7. التفكير في الهجرة إلى حلول مكافحة فيروسات يتم صيانتها بنشاط (Windows Defender, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, إلخ)
الضوابط البديلة:
8. تطبيق قائمة بيضاء للتطبيقات على الأنظمة المتأثرة لمنع تنفيذ الملفات القابلة للتنفيذ غير المصرح بها
9. نشر مراقبة سلامة الملفات (FIM) على مجلدات الخدمات للكشف عن وضع الملفات غير المصرح به
10. تفعيل تسجيل أحداث Windows لأحداث بدء/إيقاف الخدمة ومحاولات تصعيد الامتيازات
11. استخدام Group Policy لتقييد قدرات إعادة تشغيل الخدمة للمسؤولين المصرح لهم فقط
12. مراقبة إنشاء العمليات المريبة بامتيازات LocalSystem
قواعد الكشف:
13. تنبيه عند إنشاء أي ملفات قابلة للتنفيذ في C:\Program Files\Spy Emergency\ أو مسارات تثبيت الخدمات
14. مراقبة أحداث إعادة تشغيل خدمة SpyEmrgHealth أو SpyEmrgSrv متبوعة بتنفيذ عملية غير متوقعة
15. تتبع محاولات تصعيد الامتيازات الفاشلة والناجحة في سجل أحداث Windows الأمني (معرف الحدث 4672، 4673)
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
A.5.1.1 - Information security policies and procedures
A.6.1.1 - Access control policy
A.6.2.1 - User registration and access rights management
A.8.1.1 - Asset management policy
A.12.2.1 - Change management procedures
A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities
🔵 SAMA CSF
ID.AM-2 - Software inventory
PR.AC-1 - Access control policy
PR.PT-2 - Protective technology deployment
DE.CM-8 - Vulnerability scans
RS.MI-2 - Incident response procedures
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.5.1 - Management direction for information security
A.6.1 - Internal organization
A.8.1 - Asset management
A.12.2 - Change management
A.12.6 - Management of technical vulnerabilities
A.14.2 - Development and change management
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
2.2.4 - Configure system security parameters
6.2 - Ensure security patches are installed
11.2 - Run automated vulnerability scans
🔗 References & Sources 4
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http://www.spy-emergency.com/
disclosure@vulncheck.com
http://www.spy-emergency.com/download/download.php?id=1
disclosure@vulncheck.com
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40550
disclosure@vulncheck.com
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/spy-emergency-build-unquoted-service-path-privileg...
disclosure@vulncheck.com