Description
A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in NSClient++ 0.5.2.35 when both the web interface and ExternalScripts features are enabled. The configuration file (nsclient.ini) stores the administrative password in plaintext and is readable by local users. By extracting this password, an attacker can authenticate to the NSClient++ web interface (typically accessible on port 8443) and abuse the ExternalScripts plugin to inject and execute arbitrary commands as SYSTEM by registering a custom script, saving the configuration, and triggering it via the API.
This behavior is documented but insecure, as the plaintext credential exposure undermines access isolation between local users and administrative functions.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSClient++ | NSClient++ | 0.5.2.35 | — |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Metasploit 1 module
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NSClient++ 0.5.2.35 - Privilege escalation
exploit/windows/local/nscp_pe
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
References
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/windows/local/nscp_pe.rb exploit
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48360 exploit
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46802 exploit
- https://vulncheck.com/advisories/nsclient-localtoremote-system-compromise third-party-advisory