CVE-2016-0142 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Video Control in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Gold, 1511, and 1607 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web page, aka "Microsoft Video Control Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2024
The Microsoft Video Control remote code execution vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Windows operating systems that affects multiple versions including Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and various Windows 10 releases. This vulnerability specifically targets the Video Control component, which is part of the Windows Media Player ActiveX control system that handles multimedia content execution within web browsers. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems simply by visiting a maliciously crafted web page, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the Video Control component when processing specially crafted multimedia content. When a user visits a malicious webpage containing crafted video content, the vulnerable ActiveX control fails to properly validate the input parameters, allowing attackers to inject and execute malicious code with the privileges of the user running the browser. This represents a classic buffer overflow or memory corruption vulnerability that falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability occurs during the parsing of video metadata or control parameters, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite memory regions and redirect execution flow to malicious code.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0142 is severe and far-reaching, as it provides attackers with a straightforward method for remote code execution without requiring any local privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploitation of remote services through web-based attacks. The attack surface is extensive given that Windows Media Player ActiveX controls are widely deployed across enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking mass deployment capabilities. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, establish persistence mechanisms, or use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within a network.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems with the security updates released by Microsoft through their regular security bulletins. Organizations should prioritize deployment of the Microsoft Security Update MS16-014, which specifically addresses this vulnerability in the Video Control component. Additionally, security administrators should implement browser hardening measures including disabling ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer, implementing strict content filtering, and utilizing sandboxing techniques to limit potential damage from exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect suspicious web traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unauthorized code, and maintain regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other components of their IT infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against zero-day exploits targeting common software components.