CVE-2004-1718 in Integrity Protection Driver
Summary
by MITRE
The ZwOpenSection function in Integrity Protection Driver (IPD) 1.4 and earlier allows local users to cause a denial of service (crash) via an invalid pointer in the "oa" argument.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1718 resides within the Integrity Protection Driver (IPD) version 1.4 and earlier implementations, specifically targeting the ZwOpenSection function which operates at the kernel level of microsoft windows operating systems. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that enables local attackers to execute a denial of service condition by manipulating the "oa" argument parameter through an invalid pointer reference. The IPD serves as a protective mechanism within the windows kernel to enforce integrity policies and prevent unauthorized modifications to system components, making this vulnerability particularly concerning as it directly impacts the system's core security infrastructure.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the ZwOpenSection function, which fails to properly validate the object attributes structure pointer passed in the "oa" argument. When a local user provides an invalid pointer value, the kernel function does not perform proper bounds checking or null pointer validation before attempting to dereference the memory location. This leads to a kernel-mode memory access violation that ultimately results in a system crash or blue screen of death. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level where privilege escalation is not required, making it particularly dangerous as local users with minimal privileges can trigger system instability. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read and CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type, as the function improperly handles object attributes that should be validated before use.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability, as it can be exploited to disrupt critical system services and potentially create opportunities for further attacks. Local users can repeatedly trigger the vulnerability to maintain system unavailability, effectively creating a persistent denial of service condition that impacts system reliability and availability. The attack vector is relatively simple to execute, requiring only local access to the system and knowledge of how to construct the invalid pointer argument. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where local access is not strictly controlled or where users may have elevated privileges through legitimate means. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor defensive programming practices that violate fundamental security principles outlined in the software security development lifecycle, as proper error handling and input validation should have been implemented to prevent such crashes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1718 should focus on immediate patching of the Integrity Protection Driver to versions that properly validate input parameters before processing. System administrators should ensure that all systems running IPD 1.4 or earlier are updated to the latest available versions that contain proper input validation and error handling mechanisms. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls can limit the potential impact of local exploitation by restricting user access to systems running vulnerable IPD versions. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper kernel-mode programming practices and adherence to secure coding standards, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the system services category where kernel-level vulnerabilities can be leveraged for privilege escalation or system compromise. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing kernel-level vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar input validation flaws in other system components, ensuring comprehensive protection against similar attack vectors that could potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks beyond simple denial of service conditions.