CVE-2015-1643 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1 do not properly constrain impersonation levels, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "NtCreateTransactionManager Type Confusion Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2022
The CVE-2015-1643 vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw in multiple Microsoft Windows operating systems that stems from improper handling of impersonation levels within the Windows kernel. This vulnerability specifically affects Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1 systems. The flaw manifests as a type confusion vulnerability in the NtCreateTransactionManager function, which allows local attackers to manipulate impersonation levels and subsequently elevate their privileges to SYSTEM level access. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited by local users who do not require network access or elevated privileges to begin the attack process, making it a significant concern for enterprise environments where local access might be more readily available than previously assumed.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper validation of impersonation levels during transaction manager creation operations within the Windows kernel. When a malicious application attempts to create a transaction manager using the NtCreateTransactionManager API, the system fails to properly constrain the impersonation level parameters, allowing an attacker to craft specific inputs that trigger a type confusion scenario. This type confusion occurs because the kernel does not adequately validate the data types being passed to the transaction manager creation function, leading to potential memory corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-129 as an Improper Validation of Array Index, but more specifically aligns with CWE-121 for Buffer Overflow Conditions and CWE-134 for Format String Vulnerability, though the primary classification relates to improper input validation and type handling within kernel-mode components. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1068 for Local Privilege Escalation and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage this flaw to execute malicious code with SYSTEM privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1643 is substantial, as it provides local attackers with a direct path to SYSTEM-level compromise without requiring network connectivity or complex exploitation chains. Once successfully exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to bypass standard security controls, access sensitive system files, modify system configurations, and potentially establish persistent access through the elevated privileges. This makes the vulnerability particularly attractive for attackers seeking to maintain long-term access to compromised systems, as SYSTEM-level access provides complete control over the operating system and its resources. Organizations running affected versions of Windows are at significant risk, especially those with less stringent local access controls or systems where users might have legitimate reasons to run applications with elevated privileges. The vulnerability's presence in such a wide range of operating systems means that enterprises must conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments across their entire infrastructure to identify potentially affected systems, as the attack surface extends across multiple server and client platforms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1643 primarily focus on applying Microsoft security patches and implementing additional security controls to limit the attack surface. Microsoft released security updates in March 2015 as part of their regular patching cycle, which addressed the underlying impersonation level validation issue. Organizations should prioritize applying these patches immediately to all affected systems, as the vulnerability has been widely exploited in the wild. Beyond patching, system administrators should implement additional security measures including restricting local user privileges, monitoring for suspicious process creation patterns, and implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent exploitation attempts. The principle of least privilege should be strictly enforced, limiting local user accounts from performing operations that could lead to privilege escalation. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect potential exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual impersonation level changes or transaction manager creation activities. Organizations should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify anomalous behavior patterns associated with privilege escalation attempts, as traditional signature-based detection may not be sufficient to identify all exploitation variants of this vulnerability.