A high-risk vulnerability, designated as CVE-2025-42598, has been identified in various SEIKO EPSON printer drivers for Windows Operating System. This vulnerability can be exploited by potential attackers to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary malicious code with SYSTEM privilege on a Windows system where the printer driver is installed.

The vulnerability exists due to the improper access permission settings when the printer drivers are installed or used in a language other than English. This post aims to provide an in-depth understanding of this vulnerability, the affected products, potential consequences, and mitigation strategies.

Affected Products

Multiple SEIKO EPSON printer drivers for Windows OS are affected by this vulnerability. A comprehensive list of affected drivers is available at the original security advisory published by SEIKO EPSON, which can be found here.

Exploit Details

The root cause of the vulnerability lies in the fact that when an EPSON printer driver is installed in a language other than English, the access permissions are improperly configured. This allows an attacker to potentially place a malicious Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file in an arbitrary location and execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privilege, which is the highest level of privilege on a Windows system.

A sample code snippet demonstrating the vulnerability exploitation is as follows

#include <stdio.h>
#include <Windows.h>

BOOL WINAPI DllMain(HINSTANCE hinstDLL, DWORD fdwReason, LPVOID lpvReserved) {
    if (fdwReason == DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH) {
        MessageBoxA(NULL, "We have exploited CVE-2025-42598!", "DLL Hijack!", MB_OK);
    }
    return TRUE;
}

The attacker may create a crafted DLL file, as shown above, with the aim of displaying a message box once the exploited DLL is loaded. In a real-world scenario, the malicious DLL may have much more harmful effects, such as creating new processes, injecting code into existing processes, stealing sensitive data, or installing other malicious payloads.

5. The malicious DLL is loaded and executed with SYSTEM privilege, leading to the successful exploitation of the vulnerability.

Mitigation

SEIKO EPSON has acknowledged and confirmed this vulnerability and has provided necessary updates to the printer drivers to address the issue. It is highly recommended for the affected organizations and users to:

Review and confirm the printer drivers' version installed on the systems.

2. Update the printer drivers to the latest version available at the SEIKO EPSON support page.

Keep all software and hardware updated with the latest security patches.

In conclusion, CVE-2025-42598 is a serious vulnerability affecting multiple SEIKO EPSON printer drivers for Windows OS, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary malicious code with the highest system privileges. Users are urged to update their printer drivers as soon as possible and follow recommended security best practices to defend against potential exploitation.

Timeline

Published on: 04/28/2025 09:15:21 UTC
Last modified on: 04/29/2025 13:52:10 UTC