CVE-2007-5350 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) in the kernel in Microsoft Windows Vista allows local users to gain privileges via unspecified vectors involving "legacy reply paths."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-5350 resides within the Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) implementation in Microsoft Windows Vista operating systems. This flaw exists at the kernel level and represents a privilege escalation vulnerability that can be exploited by local attackers who already have access to the system. The vulnerability specifically relates to "legacy reply paths" within the ALPC mechanism, which is a high-performance inter-process communication protocol used by Windows kernel components and system services. The ALPC subsystem handles communication between user-mode applications and kernel-mode components, making it a critical attack surface for privilege escalation exploits.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of legacy reply paths within the ALPC kernel implementation. When processes communicate through ALPC, they establish communication channels that allow for efficient data exchange between user and kernel modes. The legacy reply paths represent older communication mechanisms that should have been deprecated but remained functional in the Windows Vista kernel. These paths contain insufficient validation mechanisms that allow malicious code to manipulate kernel data structures or manipulate the communication flow to elevate privileges. The flaw likely involves improper access control checks or memory corruption issues that occur when processing legacy reply messages, potentially allowing an attacker to craft specially crafted ALPC messages that trigger kernel code execution with elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for Windows Vista systems, as it provides local attackers with a means to escalate their privileges from standard user level to system level. This type of privilege escalation can enable attackers to bypass standard security controls, access protected system resources, modify critical system files, and potentially establish persistent access to the compromised system. The vulnerability affects systems running Windows Vista and could be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where local access might be obtained through various means such as social engineering, compromised user accounts, or other initial access vectors. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could gain complete control over the affected systems, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and further lateral movement within networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-5350 should focus on both immediate patching and operational security measures. Microsoft released security updates that addressed this vulnerability in subsequent patches, and system administrators should ensure that all Windows Vista systems are updated with the latest security patches. Additionally, implementing least privilege principles can help limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities by reducing the privileges available to local users. Network segmentation and monitoring for unusual ALPC activity could help detect potential exploitation attempts. From a defensive perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-264, which covers permissions, privileges, and access controls, and may be related to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation through kernel exploits. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting and monitoring for suspicious kernel-mode activities to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the ALPC subsystem.