Executive brief
AnyDesk is a remote desktop application used for accessing computers and providing technical support. A security flaw in version 2.5.0 allows a person with limited access to a computer to gain full administrative control (SYSTEM privileges). By placing a malicious file in a specific location, the attacker can ensure their code runs automatically when the computer restarts or the application starts, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Technical details
AnyDesk 2.5.0 is vulnerable to an unquoted service path (CWE-428) within its Windows service installation. The service 'anydesk' points to a binary path (C:\Program Files\AnyDesk\AnyDesk.exe) that lacks quotation marks, leading Windows to potentially execute files like 'C:\Program.exe' if they exist. A local attacker with low privileges can exploit this by placing a malicious executable in the search path. Upon a system reboot or service restart, the malicious file is executed with SYSTEM privileges. This vulnerability requires local file system access to plant the executable but requires no user interaction to trigger once the file is in place.
Affected products
- AnyDesk AnyDesk 2.5.0
Timeline
- 2016-09-22: disclosed: Initial exploit published on Exploit-DB
- 2026-06-19: advisory: CVE record published/updated in NVD dataset