CVE-2008-3464 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
afd.sys in the Ancillary Function Driver (AFD) component in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3 and Windows Server 2003 SP1 and SP2 does not properly validate input sent from user mode to the kernel, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, as demonstrated using crafted pointers and lengths that bypass intended ProbeForRead and ProbeForWrite restrictions, aka "AFD Kernel Overwrite Vulnerability."
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2025
The afd.sys vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Microsoft Windows operating systems that affects Windows xp service pack 2 and 3 as well as windows server 2003 service pack 1 and 2. this vulnerability resides in the ancillary function driver component which handles network socket operations and is classified under cwe-121 heap-based buffer overflow according to the common weakness enumeration catalog. the flaw stems from inadequate validation of user-mode input data before processing within kernel space, creating a pathway for malicious code execution that bypasses standard security mechanisms.
the technical exploitation mechanism involves crafting specific pointer and length values that manipulate the kernel-level probe functions ProbeForRead and ProbeForWrite. these functions are designed to validate memory access permissions before allowing kernel code to read or write to user-space addresses, but the vulnerability allows attackers to bypass these restrictions through carefully constructed input parameters. when the afd.sys driver processes these malformed inputs, it fails to properly validate the memory boundaries, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges.
operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables local users to achieve privilege escalation from standard user level to system level access without requiring external network connectivity or specialized attack infrastructure. the exploitability characteristics make this particularly dangerous in environments where users may have limited access but could potentially leverage this vulnerability to gain complete system control. the vulnerability affects a wide range of windows deployments making it a significant concern for enterprise security teams and system administrators responsible for maintaining legacy systems.
mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate application of microsoft security patches released in response to the vulnerability disclosure, which address the input validation issues in the afd.sys driver component. system administrators should also implement additional security controls such as disabling unnecessary network services, applying user access controls to limit local user privileges, and monitoring for suspicious system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. the vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper kernel-mode input validation and highlights the critical need for robust memory protection mechanisms in operating system components that handle user-space data processing. organizations should also consider implementing exploit prevention technologies and maintaining up-to-date security monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. according to the attack technique framework, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving privilege escalation and kernel exploitation as documented in the mitre att&ck matrix.