A high-severity privilege escalation vulnerability in Pearcleaner versions 4.4.0 through 4.5.1 allows local attackers to gain root access to the host system.

The privileged helper tool, PearcleanerHelper, incorrectly accepts unauthenticated XPC connections from any local process, leading to OS command injection (CWE-78) and improper privilege management (CWE-269). Any local unprivileged user can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges once the helper service has been activated.

The ability for a local user to escalate privileges to root represents a total compromise of the affected workstation. With root-level access, an attacker can bypass all file system permissions, install persistent backdoors, or exfiltrate sensitive data. Given the CVSS score of 7.3, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the integrity and confidentiality of any system where Pearcleaner is installed and active.

Immediate Action: Update Pearcleaner to version 4.5.2 or later immediately to apply the security fix.

Proactive Monitoring: Monitor system logs for unexpected execution of commands originating from the PearcleanerHelper process or unauthorized attempts to initiate XPC connections to the service.

Compensating Controls: Ensure that workstation security policies restrict the ability of untrusted local users to execute arbitrary binaries or interact with privileged helper tools.

Public Exploit Available: No

This vulnerability presents a clear path to full system compromise for local attackers. Administrators should prioritize updating all instances of Pearcleaner to version 4.5.2 without delay. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, restrict local user permissions to prevent unauthorized execution of the vulnerable helper tool.