CVE-2010-0476 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The SMB client in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, and Windows Server 2008 Gold and SP2 allows remote SMB servers and man-in-the-middle attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and reboot) via a crafted SMB transaction response that uses (1) SMBv1 or (2) SMBv2, aka "SMB Client Response Parsing Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0476 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the Server Message Block client implementations of several Microsoft Windows operating systems. This vulnerability affects Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, as well as Windows Server 2008 Gold and SP2, making it a widespread issue across multiple versions of the windows ecosystem. The flaw resides in how these systems process SMB transaction responses, creating a pathway for remote exploitation that can result in either arbitrary code execution or system denial of service conditions. The vulnerability specifically impacts both SMBv1 and SMBv2 protocols, amplifying its potential attack surface and making it particularly dangerous for organizations with legacy systems still utilizing older SMB implementations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the SMB client parsing mechanisms. When a Windows system receives a crafted SMB transaction response from a remote server, the client fails to properly validate the response data structure, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by attackers. This memory corruption manifests as either a buffer overflow or heap corruption that allows remote attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the target system. The vulnerability is particularly insidious because it can be triggered through man-in-the-middle attacks, where an attacker intercepts legitimate SMB traffic and injects malicious responses that exploit this parsing flaw. The attack vectors leverage the fundamental trust relationships inherent in SMB communications, making detection and prevention particularly challenging in network environments where SMB traffic is common.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-0476 extends beyond simple system compromise, as the vulnerability can result in complete system reboots or more subtle memory corruption that may persist undetected for extended periods. Organizations running affected systems face significant risks including unauthorized access to sensitive data, system availability disruptions, and potential lateral movement within network environments where SMB is used for file sharing and authentication. The vulnerability's ability to affect both SMBv1 and SMBv2 protocols means that even systems that have migrated to newer SMB versions may still be vulnerable if they maintain backward compatibility or if legacy applications continue to use the older protocol. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where mixed protocol support is common.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-0476 should prioritize immediate patch deployment as the primary defense mechanism, with Microsoft releasing security updates specifically addressing this vulnerability through their regular security bulletin process. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit SMB traffic exposure, particularly disabling SMBv1 if it is not required for legacy application compatibility. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous SMB traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while firewall rules can be implemented to restrict SMB traffic between trusted network segments. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-122 categories related to buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how protocol implementation flaws can create persistent security weaknesses. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving remote code execution and privilege escalation, making it a critical target for defensive measures in enterprise security architectures.