Description

Improper neutralization of CRLF sequences in IXON VPN Client before version 1.4.7 allows an attacker to execute commands as root or SYSTEM. Configuration values accepted by the local service are written to a file later consumed by a privileged subprocess, without line-ending sequences being neutralized, which allows additional directives to be introduced into that file. The configuration interface accepts changes without authenticating or verifying the origin of the requester. The injected configuration persists on disk across restarts of the client and the operating system, and the VPN connection continues to function normally, so there is no behavioral change visible to the user.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "9.6",
  "pubDate": "2026-09-04T22:17:18.017Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-09-04T22:17:18.017Z",
  "executiveSummary": "The IXON VPN Client, in versions prior to 1.4.7, is susceptible to an Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences (CWE-93) vulnerability. This flaw allows an unauthenticated local attacker to perform command injection with elevated privileges (root or SYSTEM).\nThe vulnerability stems from the application's failure to sanitize configuration input before writing it to a file consumed by a privileged subprocess. Because the configuration interface lacks authentication or origin verification, an attacker can supply malicious directives containing line-ending sequences. These sequences trick the parser into interpreting injected strings as new configuration directives.\nSuccessful exploitation results in full system compromise, as the injected commands are executed by a privileged process. The configuration persistence ensures that the payload remains active across reboots, providing a stealthy mechanism for unauthorized code execution. As there are no visible behavioral changes to the user, this vulnerability poses a significant risk for long-term system persistence and unauthorized administrative control.\nRemediation requires upgrading to version 1.4.7 or later, which addresses the lack of input sanitization and potentially strengthens the authentication mechanisms governing the configuration interface.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is rooted in the IXON VPN Client's handling of configuration parameters. The local service accepts user-supplied input through a configuration interface that fails to implement authentication or origin verification. When this input is processed, the application writes the provided values directly into a configuration file without performing proper neutralization of CRLF (Carriage Return and Line Feed) sequences.\nBecause the configuration file is later parsed and executed by a privileged subprocess running as root (on Linux/macOS) or SYSTEM (on Windows), the lack of character sanitization creates a critical injection vector. An attacker can craft a payload containing newline characters (e.g., %0D%0A) followed by additional configuration directives. When the privileged subprocess reads the file, it interprets the attacker's injected text as legitimate configuration commands, executing them with elevated privileges.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the attacker interacts with the unauthenticated configuration interface to submit a configuration value. Second, the attacker embeds malicious directives, separated by CRLF sequences, within the input string. Third, the local service writes this malformed content to the target configuration file. Finally, the privileged subprocess reads the file, hits the injected newline, and executes the subsequent malicious directives as part of its normal operation.\nThis vulnerability is particularly severe due to the persistence mechanism; the malicious configuration is saved to disk and remains active across OS reboots and application restarts. Furthermore, because the VPN functionality remains unaffected, the system appears to operate normally, facilitating stealthy exploitation. No specialized privileges are required to reach the configuration interface, and the lack of network or host-based origin validation allows any local user or process to trigger the vulnerability. The resulting command execution provides the attacker with total control over the host environment, allowing for data exfiltration, lateral movement, or the installation of persistent backdoors."
}