# CVE-2024-13990

## Summary

- **CVE ID:** CVE-2024-13990
- **Severity:** CRITICAL
- **CVSS Score:** 9.3 (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N)
- **CWE:** CWE-295, CWE-347
- **Published:** Sep 19, 2025
- **Last Modified:** Mar 13, 2026

## Description

MicroWorld eScan AV's update mechanism failed to ensure authenticity and integrity of updates: update packages were delivered and accepted without robust cryptographic verification. As a result, an on-path attacker could perform a man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack and substitute malicious update payloads for legitimate ones. The eScan AV client accepted these substituted packages and executed or loaded their components (including sideloaded DLLs and Java/installer payloads), enabling remote code execution on affected systems. MicroWorld eScan confirmed remediation of the update mechanism on 2023-07-31 but versioning details are unavailable. NOTE: MicroWorld eScan disputes the characterization in third-party reports, stating the issue relates to 2018–2019 and that controls were implemented then.

## Affected Products

- MicroWorld Technologies — eScan AV (*)

## References

- [CNA](https://blog.avast.com/leading-the-charge-against-guptiminer)
- [CNA](https://www.gendigital.com/blog/insights/research/guptiminer-hijacking-antivirus-updates-for-distributing-backdoors-and-casual-mining)
- [CNA](https://securityaffairs.com/162228/breaking-news/escan-antivirus-mitm-attack.html)
- [CNA](https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/04/hackers-infect-users-of-antivirus-service-that-delivered-updates-over-http/)
- [CNA](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-hijack-antivirus-updates-to-drop-guptiminer-malware/)
- [CNA](https://thehackernews.com/2024/04/escan-antivirus-update-mechanism.html)
- [CNA](https://www.escanav.com/en/about-us/eScan-update-advisory.asp)
- [CNA](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/microworld-escan-av-insecure-update-mechanism-allows-mitm-replacement-of-updates)

## Exploitation Prediction (EPSS)

- **EPSS Score:** 0.62%
- **EPSS Percentile:** 47.3

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_Exported from OnDuty AI Vulnerability Intelligence on 2026-09-10._