CVE-2016-3312 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
ActiveSyncProvider in Microsoft Windows 10 Gold and 1511 allows attackers to discover credentials by leveraging failure of Universal Outlook to obtain a secure connection, aka "Universal Outlook Information Disclosure Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2024
The CVE-2016-3312 vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Microsoft Windows 10 operating systems, specifically affecting versions Gold and 1511. This vulnerability manifests through the ActiveSyncProvider component and exploits a fundamental weakness in how Universal Outlook handles secure connection establishment. The flaw enables attackers to potentially extract authentication credentials through a sophisticated exploitation technique that capitalizes on connection failure scenarios. Security researchers identified this issue as part of a broader class of vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft's mobile synchronization protocols, where the failure to properly validate secure connection states creates an avenue for credential exposure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from how the ActiveSyncProvider component interacts with Universal Outlook during connection establishment processes. When Universal Outlook attempts to establish a secure connection to Microsoft Exchange servers, the system fails to adequately handle connection failures or authentication errors. This failure creates a state where sensitive credential information remains accessible through specific network traffic analysis or exploitation techniques. The vulnerability operates at the protocol level where authentication tokens and credential data are not properly sanitized or destroyed after connection attempts fail, allowing attackers to intercept and reconstruct authentication information from network traffic or memory dumps.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments where Windows 10 devices are used for corporate email synchronization. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform credential harvesting attacks, particularly in scenarios where network traffic is monitored or where attackers have access to systems that maintain connection state information. The vulnerability impacts both internal network environments and remote access scenarios, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely heavily on mobile device management and email synchronization services. Organizations with insufficient network monitoring or inadequate security controls may find their credential repositories compromised through this attack vector, potentially leading to broader system infiltration.
The security implications extend beyond simple credential disclosure to encompass potential privilege escalation and lateral movement capabilities. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can use the obtained credentials to access additional network resources, potentially compromising entire enterprise networks. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1075 which covers the use of legitimate credentials for unauthorized access, and CWE-200 which addresses information exposure. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network traffic monitoring, enhanced authentication protocols, and regular security updates to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper credential handling and secure connection management in enterprise environments, particularly when dealing with mobile synchronization protocols that handle sensitive authentication data.