CVE-2017-0182 in Hyper-V
Summary
by MITRE
A denial of service vulnerability exists when Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch running on a Windows 10, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows Server 2016 host server fails to properly validate input from a privileged user on a guest operating system, aka "Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability." This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2017-0178, CVE-2017-0179, CVE-2017-0183, CVE-2017-0184, CVE-2017-0185, and CVE-2017-0186.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-0182 represents a critical denial of service weakness within Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch functionality that affects multiple Windows operating systems including Windows 10, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016. This flaw specifically manifests when the Hyper-V Network Switch component fails to adequately validate input data originating from privileged users within guest operating systems, creating an avenue for malicious exploitation that can compromise system availability and operational integrity. The vulnerability operates at the hypervisor level where guest operating systems can manipulate network switch parameters through crafted input sequences that bypass normal validation mechanisms.
From a technical perspective the vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Hyper-V Network Switch implementation, which operates as a core component of Microsoft's virtualization infrastructure. When privileged users within guest VMs submit malformed or unexpected input parameters to the network switch functionality, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate these inputs before processing them. This validation failure creates a condition where the network switch component can become unstable or crash, leading to complete denial of service for network connectivity within affected virtual environments. The flaw particularly affects scenarios where guest operating systems attempt to manipulate network switch configuration parameters through privileged execution contexts, exploiting the trust relationship between host and guest components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader infrastructure reliability concerns within virtualized environments. Organizations running Hyper-V deployments across their enterprise networks face significant risk of service interruptions when this vulnerability is exploited, as the denial of service affects network connectivity for virtual machines rather than individual systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered by authenticated users within guest operating systems, meaning that any compromised guest VM could potentially be used as an attack vector to disrupt network services across the entire virtual infrastructure. This characteristic places the vulnerability within the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service categories, specifically mapping to techniques involving hypervisor manipulation and resource exhaustion attacks.
Security practitioners must consider this vulnerability in the context of CWE-20, which describes "Improper Input Validation" as a fundamental weakness that allows malicious input to cause system instability or compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates how insufficient validation at the hypervisor level can create cascading effects throughout virtualized environments, where a single compromised guest operating system can potentially disrupt network services for multiple VMs. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input sanitization within Hyper-V Network Switch components, applying timely security updates from Microsoft, and establishing network monitoring to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of privilege escalation within guest environments, while maintaining comprehensive logging and alerting mechanisms to detect unauthorized manipulation of virtual network components. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks, and underscores the importance of maintaining robust hypervisor security controls in enterprise virtualization deployments.