CVE-2016-0178 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The RPC NDR Engine in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Gold and 1511 mishandles free operations, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malformed RPC requests, aka "RPC Network Data Representation Engine Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2024
The RPC Network Data Representation Engine vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0178 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Microsoft Windows operating systems. This vulnerability specifically affects a wide range of Windows versions including Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 versions. The flaw resides in the Remote Procedure Call NDR Engine component responsible for handling data representation and serialization during network communications. This vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems through carefully crafted malformed RPC requests, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries and potentially allowing full system compromise.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of free operations within the RPC NDR Engine implementation. When processing malformed RPC requests, the engine fails to properly validate memory deallocation operations, creating a condition where attacker-controlled data can influence the memory management process. This memory corruption vulnerability falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The flaw specifically manifests when the RPC engine attempts to free memory resources associated with malformed data structures, allowing attackers to manipulate memory pointers and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the target process.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-0178 extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with elevated privileges that can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for networked environments. Attackers can leverage this flaw to establish persistent backdoors, escalate privileges to SYSTEM level access, and potentially move laterally within network infrastructures. The attack surface includes any system running affected Windows versions that has RPC services enabled, particularly servers and domain controllers where RPC communication is frequently utilized for administrative tasks and service interactions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patch deployment through Microsoft's security updates, specifically addressing the RPC NDR Engine memory handling issues. Organizations should prioritize patching all affected Windows systems, particularly those with exposed RPC services or running critical infrastructure applications. Network segmentation and firewall rules can help reduce the attack surface by limiting RPC traffic to necessary internal communications only. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual RPC traffic patterns and malformed requests can provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers exploit for privilege escalation, and T1071, covering application layer protocol usage for command and control communications. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining unpatched systems within the enterprise environment.