CVE-2014-4060 in Windows Media Center
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in MCPlayer.dll in Microsoft Windows Media Center TV Pack for Windows Vista, Windows 7 SP1, and Windows Media Center for Windows 8 and 8.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Office document that triggers deletion of a CSyncBasePlayer object, aka "CSyncBasePlayer Use After Free Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2024
The CVE-2014-4060 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Microsoft's Windows Media Center TV Pack components, specifically within the MCPlayer.dll library. This vulnerability affects multiple Windows operating systems including Vista, Windows 7 SP1, and Windows Media Center for Windows 8 and 8.1, creating a widespread attack surface that could be exploited by remote threat actors. The flaw manifests when a crafted Office document triggers the deletion of a CSyncBasePlayer object, creating a scenario where memory that has been freed is subsequently accessed, leading to potential code execution. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of use-after-free conditions, which is a well-documented class of memory safety issues that have historically led to significant security breaches across various software platforms. The attack vector requires a user to open a maliciously crafted Office document, making this a classic social engineering target that leverages the trust users place in document-based applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper management of object lifecycles within the Windows Media Center subsystem. When a CSyncBasePlayer object is created and subsequently deleted through normal application flow, the memory location it occupied is freed but not properly nullified or tracked. Attackers can craft Office documents that, when processed by the vulnerable Windows Media Center components, cause the object deletion to occur in a specific sequence that leaves the memory accessible to subsequent operations. This memory access pattern creates a window where arbitrary code can be injected and executed with the privileges of the compromised process, typically running in the context of the user who opened the malicious document. The vulnerability specifically targets the synchronization mechanisms within Media Center's playback system, where the CSyncBasePlayer object manages the interaction between different media components, making it a critical point of failure in the application's memory management architecture.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4060 extends beyond simple code execution to potentially enable full system compromise when combined with other attack techniques. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to bypass modern security controls including data execution prevention mechanisms and user access control policies, as the code execution occurs within the legitimate Media Center process space. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require local access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users may inadvertently open malicious documents from email attachments or web downloads. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.005 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute additional payloads through the compromised Media Center process. Organizations running affected Windows versions face significant risk of persistent threats, as the vulnerability can be used to establish backdoors or download additional malware components without detection by traditional signature-based security systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-4060 require both immediate patching and defensive measures to reduce the attack surface. Microsoft released security updates for the affected operating systems that address the underlying use-after-free condition in MCPlayer.dll, and organizations should prioritize deployment of these patches across all vulnerable systems. Network administrators should implement application whitelisting policies that prevent execution of Office documents from untrusted sources, particularly in environments where users may open documents from external sources. The vulnerability can be partially mitigated through the disablement of Windows Media Center functionality when it is not required, as this reduces the exposure of the vulnerable MCPlayer.dll component. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual process behavior or memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and network traffic analysis can help identify delivery mechanisms such as malicious email attachments or web-based document downloads. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious Office documents and verifying document sources before opening them, as this vulnerability relies heavily on social engineering to achieve successful exploitation.