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Expand Up @@ -228,8 +228,50 @@ BOOL APIENTRY DllMain (HMODULE hModule, DWORD ul_reason_for_call, LPVOID lpReser
}
```

## Case Study: CVE-2025-1729 - Privilege Escalation Using TPQMAssistant.exe

This case demonstrates **Phantom DLL Hijacking** in Lenovo's TrackPoint Quick Menu (`TPQMAssistant.exe`), tracked as **CVE-2025-1729**.

### Vulnerability Details

- **Component**: `TPQMAssistant.exe` located at `C:\ProgramData\Lenovo\TPQM\Assistant\`.
- **Scheduled Task**: `Lenovo\TrackPointQuickMenu\Schedule\ActivationDailyScheduleTask` runs daily at 9:30 AM under the context of the logged-on user.
- **Directory Permissions**: Writable by `CREATOR OWNER`, allowing local users to drop arbitrary files.
- **DLL Search Behavior**: Attempts to load `hostfxr.dll` from its working directory first and logs "NAME NOT FOUND" if missing, indicating local directory search precedence.

### Exploit Implementation

An attacker can place a malicious `hostfxr.dll` stub in the same directory, exploiting the missing DLL to achieve code execution under the user's context:

```c
#include <windows.h>

BOOL APIENTRY DllMain(HMODULE hModule, DWORD fdwReason, LPVOID lpReserved) {
if (fdwReason == DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH) {
// Payload: display a message box (proof-of-concept)
MessageBoxA(NULL, "DLL Hijacked!", "TPQM", MB_OK);
}
return TRUE;
}
```

### Attack Flow

1. As a standard user, drop `hostfxr.dll` into `C:\ProgramData\Lenovo\TPQM\Assistant\`.
2. Wait for the scheduled task to run at 9:30 AM under the current user's context.
3. If an administrator is logged in when the task executes, the malicious DLL runs in the administrator's session at medium integrity.
4. Chain standard UAC bypass techniques to elevate from medium integrity to SYSTEM privileges.

### Mitigation

Lenovo released UWP version **1.12.54.0** via the Microsoft Store, which installs TPQMAssistant under `C:\Program Files (x86)\Lenovo\TPQM\TPQMAssistant\`, removes the vulnerable scheduled task, and uninstalls the legacy Win32 components.

## References

- [CVE-2025-1729 - Privilege Escalation Using TPQMAssistant.exe](https://trustedsec.com/blog/cve-2025-1729-privilege-escalation-using-tpqmassistant-exe)
- [Microsoft Store - TPQM Assistant UWP](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9mz08jf4t3ng)


- [https://medium.com/@pranaybafna/tcapt-dll-hijacking-888d181ede8e](https://medium.com/@pranaybafna/tcapt-dll-hijacking-888d181ede8e)
- [https://cocomelonc.github.io/pentest/2021/09/24/dll-hijacking-1.html](https://cocomelonc.github.io/pentest/2021/09/24/dll-hijacking-1.html)

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