CVE-2010-2555 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The Tracing Feature for Services in Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, and R2, and Windows 7 does not properly determine the length of strings in the registry, which allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via vectors involving a long string, aka "Tracing Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-2555 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the tracing feature of Microsoft Windows operating systems. This issue affects multiple versions including Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, and R2, as well as Windows 7. The vulnerability stems from improper string length validation within the registry handling mechanisms of the tracing subsystem, creating a dangerous condition where malicious input can lead to system compromise or denial of service.
The technical flaw manifests when the Windows tracing infrastructure processes registry entries containing excessively long strings. The system fails to properly validate the length of these strings before attempting to process them, leading to buffer overflow conditions in memory allocation. This improper bounds checking creates opportunities for attackers to craft specially formatted registry entries that exceed the allocated buffer space, resulting in memory corruption that can be exploited for privilege escalation or system instability. The vulnerability specifically impacts the service tracing functionality that Microsoft implemented to help administrators monitor and debug service operations, making it particularly concerning given the privileged nature of the tracing subsystem.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to system security and availability. Local attackers with minimal privileges can potentially exploit this flaw to escalate their privileges to system level, allowing them to execute arbitrary code with the highest possible permissions. The memory corruption can also lead to denial of service conditions where the system becomes unstable or crashes entirely, disrupting critical services and potentially affecting business operations. The vulnerability's presence across multiple Windows versions indicates a widespread exposure that would require extensive patch management efforts to remediate properly. Security researchers have categorized this issue under CWE-121, which describes "Stack-based Buffer Overflow," and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where local access might be obtained through various attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing the official Microsoft security patches released as part of the Windows Update process. Organizations should prioritize patch deployment across all affected systems, particularly those running Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 environments where the tracing feature is actively utilized. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as registry access restrictions and monitoring for unusual registry modifications that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation in system-level components and reinforces the need for comprehensive security testing of administrative features. Organizations should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in other system components and implement defense-in-depth strategies that reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.