CVE-2015-2361 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Hyper-V in Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 does not properly initialize guest OS system data structures, which allows guest OS users to execute arbitrary code on the host OS or cause a denial of service (buffer overflow) by leveraging guest OS privileges, aka "Hyper-V Buffer Overflow Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2022
The Hyper-V buffer overflow vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2361 represents a critical security flaw within Microsoft's virtualization infrastructure that affects Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 systems. This vulnerability resides in the Hyper-V hypervisor component responsible for managing virtual machine operations and system resource allocation. The flaw stems from improper initialization of guest operating system system data structures during virtual machine creation and execution processes, creating a pathway for privilege escalation attacks that can compromise the host system's integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a buffer overflow condition that occurs when guest operating systems attempt to interact with Hyper-V's memory management subsystem. When a malicious guest OS user executes specific code sequences, the hypervisor fails to properly validate input parameters or allocate sufficient memory buffers for system data structures. This inadequate boundary checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially executing arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability specifically targets the communication channels between guest and host operating systems, leveraging the inherent trust relationship between virtualized environments and their underlying hypervisor.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe threat landscape where a compromised guest operating system can be leveraged to gain full control over the host system. Attackers with access to a virtual machine can exploit this flaw to execute code on the host with the same privileges as the Hyper-V service, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability also enables denial of service scenarios where malicious input can cause system crashes or resource exhaustion, disrupting critical virtualized services. Organizations running virtualized environments are particularly vulnerable as this flaw can be exploited without requiring external network access, making it especially dangerous in internal network environments where guest VMs are already trusted.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes "Stack-based Buffer Overflow" conditions in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution. Security professionals should recognize this as a privilege escalation vulnerability that can be exploited through the hypervisor's guest-to-host communication mechanisms, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistence on host systems and escalate their access privileges. The attack surface extends beyond simple code execution to include potential data exfiltration, system monitoring, and further lateral movement within compromised networks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Microsoft security patches released for this vulnerability, which address the improper data structure initialization in Hyper-V components. Network segmentation and hypervisor hardening measures can help reduce the attack surface, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual guest-to-host communication patterns. Regular virtual machine image updates and vulnerability assessments are essential to prevent exploitation of this class of vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing least privilege principles for virtual machine administrators and maintaining detailed audit logs of hypervisor activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization infrastructure and demonstrates how hypervisor-level flaws can create cascading security risks across entire virtualized environments.