CVE-2004-0124 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The DCOM RPC interface for Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and Server 2003 allows remote attackers to cause network communications via an "alter context" call that contains additional data, aka the "Object Identity Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0124 represents a critical flaw in the Distributed Component Object Model Remote Procedure Call implementation across multiple Microsoft Windows operating systems including Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and Server 2003. This issue specifically affects the DCOM RPC interface which serves as a fundamental communication mechanism for distributed applications and system services. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of "alter context" calls within the RPC protocol, creating a scenario where malicious actors can manipulate network communications through specially crafted data sequences. This flaw operates at the protocol level and demonstrates a fundamental weakness in how the Windows DCOM implementation processes context negotiation messages, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring authentication or elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of DCOM RPC context negotiation sequences where an attacker can inject additional data into the "alter context" call structure. This particular flaw falls under CWE-129, which describes improper validation of the length of input data, and specifically relates to weaknesses in protocol implementations where the system fails to properly validate the size and content of RPC context data. The vulnerability enables an attacker to cause network communications to behave unexpectedly by exploiting the way the system processes additional data within the context alteration mechanism. When the RPC interface receives an alter context call with malformed or extended data, the system's processing logic fails to properly validate or sanitize this information, leading to potential buffer overflows or other memory corruption issues that can be leveraged for remote code execution or denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-0124 extends beyond simple network disruption as it represents a significant threat to Windows system integrity and availability. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems running affected Windows versions, potentially leading to complete system compromise and lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple versions of Windows that were widely deployed in enterprise environments, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving remote code execution through protocol manipulation and system service exploitation, specifically T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation and T1071 for application layer protocol usage. The attack surface includes any system with DCOM services enabled, which are commonly found in Windows domain environments and enterprise networks where distributed application communication is prevalent.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of security patches provided by Microsoft through their regular security updates, specifically addressing the DCOM RPC interface flaws in affected Windows versions. System administrators should disable unnecessary DCOM services and implement network segmentation to limit exposure of systems running vulnerable Windows versions. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by restricting DCOM communication to only essential services and users. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual RPC traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on anomalous alter context call sequences. Organizations should also implement proper firewall rules to restrict DCOM RPC traffic to trusted networks and consider disabling DCOM entirely if not required for business operations. From a compliance standpoint, this vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust vulnerability management processes to prevent exploitation of known weaknesses in system components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical need for continuous security assessment and remediation of legacy systems that may contain unpatched protocol-level flaws.