Skip to content
Fencer Vulns
high 7.8

CVE-2019-16913 json

PC Protect Antivirus v4.14.31 installs by default to %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\PCProtect with very weak folder permissions, granting any user ful…

published 2019-10-07 7 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2019-7408

cvss
7.8
version 3.1, NVD
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.4%
EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 36%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

PC Protect Antivirus v4.14.31 installs by default to %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\PCProtect with very weak folder permissions, granting any user full permission "Everyone: (F)" to the contents of the directory and its subfolders. In addition, the program installs a service called SecurityService that runs as LocalSystem. This allows any user to escalate privileges to "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" by substituting the service's binary with a Trojan horse.

Exploit prediction

0.42% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 36% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

  • flipflopsecurity.wordpress.com https://flipflopsecurity.wordpress.com/2019/10/07/pc-protect-v4-14-31-privilege-esclation/ referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 3.1 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD 2.0 7.2 AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-276 Incorrect Default Permissions

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.