CVE-2018-0888 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch in 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 and R2, Windows 10 Gold, 1511, 1607, 1703, and 1709, Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server, version 1709 allows an information disclosure vulnerability due to how guest operating system input is validated, aka "Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2024
The CVE-2018-0888 vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Microsoft Hyper-V Network Switch implementations across multiple Windows operating system versions. This vulnerability specifically affects 64-bit systems running Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 and R2, Windows 10 versions Gold, 1511, 1607, 1703, and 1709, as well as Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server version 1709. The flaw resides in how the Hyper-V Network Switch component processes input from guest operating systems, creating a pathway for unauthorized information disclosure that can compromise system security integrity.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of input parameters within the Hyper-V Network Switch driver. When guest operating systems communicate with the host system through the Hyper-V Network Switch, malformed or improperly validated input data can trigger memory corruption behaviors that inadvertently expose sensitive information from the host system's memory space. This occurs because the validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize or verify the integrity of data packets received from virtual machines, allowing crafted inputs to bypass security checks and potentially reveal confidential data such as kernel memory contents, system credentials, or other privileged information.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-0888 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential attack vectors for more sophisticated exploitation techniques. An attacker with access to a guest operating system could leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive data from the host system, potentially enabling privilege escalation attacks or facilitating further compromise of the virtualized environment. The vulnerability's presence across multiple Windows versions and server configurations means that organizations running these systems face widespread exposure, particularly in environments where virtualization is extensively used for hosting multiple guest operating systems. This affects both enterprise data centers and cloud environments where Hyper-V is commonly deployed as the virtualization platform.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Microsoft security updates, which address the input validation flaws in the Hyper-V Network Switch component. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of exploitation, particularly in environments where guest VMs are not fully trusted. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059 for execution through guest operating systems. Additional defensive measures include monitoring network traffic for anomalous patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, implementing hypervisor-level security controls, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments of virtualized environments to identify similar validation weaknesses that could be exploited in conjunction with this vulnerability.