CVE-2011-1267 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The SMB server in Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 Gold and SP1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (system hang) via a crafted (1) SMBv1 or (2) SMBv2 request, aka "SMB Request Parsing Vulnerability."
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1267 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Microsoft's Server Message Block implementations across multiple Windows operating systems. This vulnerability affects Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 in various service pack configurations including Gold, SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, as well as Windows 7 Gold and SP1 versions. The flaw manifests specifically in the SMB server component that processes incoming network requests, creating a potential attack vector for remote adversaries to disrupt system operations without requiring authentication credentials.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in the improper parsing of SMB protocol requests, particularly those utilizing SMBv1 or SMBv2 protocols. When the SMB server receives a malformed or crafted request that exploits specific parsing logic flaws, the system enters an unstable state resulting in system hang or complete denial of service. This parsing error occurs at the protocol implementation level within the Windows SMB server stack, where the system fails to properly validate or handle certain request structures that could potentially trigger memory corruption or infinite loop conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can render entire systems inaccessible to legitimate users and network services. Attackers can exploit this weakness remotely without requiring any authentication, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where SMB services are actively exposed. The vulnerability affects core network functionality since SMB is fundamental to file sharing, printer services, and other networked operations that Windows systems depend upon for normal operation.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of improper input validation where the SMB server fails to adequately sanitize incoming requests before processing them. Organizations running affected systems face significant operational risks including potential business disruption, increased administrative overhead for patch management, and possible exploitation for more sophisticated attacks that could leverage this initial denial of service as a stepping stone. The vulnerability's remote exploitability makes it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt network services without requiring physical access or elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate deployment of Microsoft security updates and patches addressing this specific vulnerability. Network segmentation and firewall rules can help limit exposure by restricting SMB traffic to necessary endpoints only. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions to detect anomalous SMB traffic patterns can provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider disabling SMBv1 if not required for legacy compatibility, as this protocol version contains multiple known vulnerabilities and represents a significant attack surface that should be minimized where possible.