CVE-2018-1034 in SharePoint Enterprise Server
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when Microsoft SharePoint Server does not properly sanitize a specially crafted web request to an affected SharePoint server, aka "Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Microsoft SharePoint. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-1005, CVE-2018-1014, CVE-2018-1032.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1034 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Microsoft SharePoint Server that stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious web requests that bypass normal security restrictions, enabling unauthorized users to escalate their privileges within the SharePoint environment. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the affected server fails to properly sanitize incoming web requests, creating a pathway for malicious actors to gain higher-level access rights than initially granted. The flaw affects multiple versions of Microsoft SharePoint Server, making it a widespread concern for organizations relying on this platform for collaboration and document management services.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of specially crafted web requests that contain malicious payloads designed to exploit the sanitization shortcomings in SharePoint's request processing pipeline. When an attacker submits such a crafted request to an affected SharePoint server, the system fails to adequately validate or sanitize the input parameters, allowing malicious code or manipulated request elements to be processed with elevated privileges. This occurs because the SharePoint server's input validation mechanisms are insufficient to detect and neutralize the crafted request components that could be used to manipulate the server's security context. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, leveraging weaknesses in the web request processing architecture rather than targeting underlying operating system components or network protocols.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using SharePoint Server as their primary collaboration platform. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain administrative privileges or access to sensitive data that would normally be restricted to authorized personnel only. The elevated privileges could enable the attacker to modify or delete critical documents, access confidential information, manipulate user permissions, or even establish persistent backdoors within the SharePoint environment. The impact extends beyond individual data breaches to potentially compromise entire organizational collaboration systems, affecting business continuity and regulatory compliance. Organizations may face severe consequences including data loss, intellectual property theft, and regulatory penalties if such vulnerabilities are exploited successfully.
Security mitigations for CVE-2018-1034 should focus on immediate patch management and implementation of additional protective measures. Microsoft released security updates specifically addressing this vulnerability, and organizations must apply these patches as soon as possible to remediate the issue. Network segmentation and perimeter controls should be enhanced to limit direct access to SharePoint servers from untrusted networks. Implementing robust web application firewalls and input validation rules can help detect and block malicious requests before they reach the SharePoint server. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential exploitation vectors. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and represents a clear example of how insufficient sanitization can lead to privilege escalation attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and could be leveraged as part of broader attack chains targeting enterprise collaboration platforms. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns or unusual privilege elevation activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.