CVE-2015-1702 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The Service Control Manager (SCM) in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, 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 does not properly constrain impersonation levels, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "Service Control Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1702 resides within the Service Control Manager component of multiple Microsoft Windows operating systems, representing a critical elevation of privilege flaw that has affected versions spanning from Windows Server 2003 through Windows 8.1 and their respective service packs. This issue specifically targets the SCM's improper handling of impersonation levels during service management operations, creating a pathway for local attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user level to system level access. The flaw exploits the underlying trust model within Windows service architecture where legitimate service management operations should be properly constrained to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Microsoft Windows platforms including server and client operating systems, making it particularly dangerous as it impacts both enterprise and desktop environments. The Service Control Manager serves as a critical Windows subsystem responsible for managing system services and their associated processes, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks. This weakness allows malicious applications to manipulate the impersonation context during service control operations, effectively bypassing normal access controls that should prevent unauthorized elevation of privileges. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in Windows security model implementation where service management operations do not adequately validate or constrain the impersonation levels that applications can assume during legitimate service interactions.
The technical root cause of CVE-2015-1702 stems from the Service Control Manager's failure to properly validate impersonation levels when processing service control requests from local applications. This flaw allows attackers to craft malicious applications that can manipulate the service control context to assume higher privileges than originally intended. The vulnerability specifically affects the SCM's handling of security contexts during service registration, start, stop, and control operations, where the system should enforce strict impersonation level constraints. When a local user executes a crafted application, the SCM accepts and processes the request without proper validation of the impersonation level, enabling the malicious application to inherit elevated privileges. This represents a classic case of insufficient privilege validation where the system fails to enforce proper access control boundaries between different security contexts. The flaw manifests when service control operations are performed in an environment where the calling process has insufficient security context validation, allowing privilege escalation through manipulated service control requests. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level within Windows service management subsystem, making it particularly difficult to detect and prevent through traditional application-level security measures. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-264 category of "Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls" and specifically relates to improper privilege management within Windows service architecture. The issue is classified as a privilege escalation vulnerability because it allows local users to gain system-level privileges without requiring administrative credentials, which represents a significant security weakness in the Windows operating system's access control model.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1702 extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges on affected systems. Once successfully exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to install malicious software, modify system files, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the compromised systems. The attack vector requires local access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users have legitimate access to systems but could be compromised through social engineering or other means. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to perform actions such as disabling security services, modifying registry settings, or creating new user accounts with administrative privileges. Organizations running affected Windows versions are particularly vulnerable to this attack as it can be leveraged by malware or sophisticated attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical systems. The impact is especially severe in enterprise environments where multiple users have local access to systems, as a single compromised account can provide attackers with system-level privileges across entire networks. This vulnerability also enables attackers to perform advanced persistence techniques by modifying system services or creating scheduled tasks that execute with elevated privileges. The exploitation of this vulnerability can result in data breaches, system corruption, and complete loss of system integrity, making it a high-priority security concern for all organizations running affected Windows versions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1702 should focus on both immediate patching and operational security improvements to reduce the attack surface. Microsoft has released security updates for all affected Windows versions, and organizations should prioritize applying these patches as soon as possible to eliminate the vulnerability. In environments where patching cannot be immediately implemented, administrators should implement additional security controls such as restricting local user access to system services and monitoring for suspicious service control operations. The implementation of least privilege principles should be enforced, ensuring that local users have minimal required permissions and that service accounts are properly configured with restricted privileges. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation by preventing lateral movement within compromised systems. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous service control activities, particularly those involving privilege escalation attempts or unusual service management operations. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized applications from executing on systems, as this can help prevent the exploitation of this vulnerability through crafted malicious applications. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1068 suggests that attackers may use this flaw as part of broader attack chains to establish persistence and escalate privileges within compromised environments. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems running affected Windows versions and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.