CVE-2000-0311 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The Windows 2000 domain controller allows a malicious user to modify Active Directory information by modifying an unprotected attribute, aka the "Mixed Object Access" vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2026
The CVE-2000-0311 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Microsoft Windows 2000 domain controllers that fundamentally undermines the integrity of Active Directory services. This vulnerability arises from improper access control mechanisms within the directory service, specifically allowing unauthorized users to manipulate directory information through the modification of unprotected attributes. The flaw enables attackers to exploit a weakness in the authentication and authorization framework that governs how objects and their attributes are accessed within the Active Directory environment. This represents a significant compromise of the security model that Windows 2000 domain controllers rely upon to maintain trust and integrity within enterprise networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the fact that certain Active Directory attributes are not properly protected against modification by unauthorized users. When a malicious actor gains access to a domain controller or exploits other attack vectors, they can directly manipulate these unprotected attributes to alter user accounts, group memberships, or other directory objects. The vulnerability specifically affects the Mixed Object Access mechanism, where objects can be accessed and modified by users who should not have such privileges. This flaw operates at the core of the directory service architecture, bypassing normal access control checks that should prevent unauthorized modifications to critical directory information. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and represents a classic case of privilege escalation through attribute manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2000-0311 is severe and far-reaching within enterprise environments that rely on Windows 2000 domain controllers. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain persistent access to directory services, potentially elevating their privileges to administrative levels within the domain. The ability to modify Active Directory information creates opportunities for attackers to establish backdoors, modify user permissions, or create new administrative accounts. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the directory service, potentially leading to complete domain compromise. Organizations using Windows 2000 domain controllers were particularly vulnerable because the operating system lacked the modern security controls and access enforcement mechanisms that would prevent such attribute-level modifications. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including network-based attacks, social engineering, or by compromising other systems within the domain to gain sufficient privileges to manipulate directory attributes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2000-0311 require immediate implementation of security patches and configuration changes to protect Active Directory attributes from unauthorized modification. Microsoft released security updates to address this vulnerability, but organizations needed to ensure proper deployment and testing of these patches. System administrators should implement strict access control policies and regularly audit directory object permissions to identify and remediate any unauthorized access. The vulnerability highlights the importance of principle of least privilege and proper security configuration of directory services. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect suspicious directory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, specifically targeting the directory service as a means to establish persistent access and maintain control over enterprise networks. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses in other directory services or legacy systems that may be vulnerable to comparable attacks.