CVE-2018-10359 in OfficeScan
Summary
by MITRE
A pool corruption privilege escalation vulnerability in Trend Micro OfficeScan 11.0 SP1 and XG could allow a local attacker to escalate privileges on vulnerable installations due to a flaw within the processing of IOCTL 0x220078 in the TMWFP driver. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2020
The CVE-2018-10359 vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Trend Micro OfficeScan versions 11.0 SP1 and XG systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the TMWFP driver component that handles IOCTL (Input/Output Control) operations, creating a pathway for local attackers to elevate their system privileges from standard user level to administrative rights. The flaw manifests through improper handling of IOCTL code 0x220078 which governs memory pool operations within the kernel-level driver. The vulnerability's severity stems from its ability to corrupt memory pools, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a local attacker to first establish a foothold on the target system through separate means, as the flaw itself does not provide remote access capabilities. Once the attacker has low-privileged code execution, they can leverage the flawed pool corruption mechanism to manipulate kernel memory structures and gain administrative control. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of kernel-level memory corruption issues that align with CWE-122 (Heap Overflow) and CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) classifications, as the improper memory pool handling creates conditions where attacker-controlled data can overwrite critical kernel structures. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) as it enables attackers to execute commands with elevated privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-10359 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise and persistent access to network resources. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can establish backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, and maintain long-term access to compromised systems without detection. The vulnerability affects enterprise environments where Trend Micro OfficeScan is deployed, potentially impacting thousands of endpoints across organizations. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risk as the flaw enables attackers to bypass traditional security controls and gain unauthorized administrative access to critical infrastructure. The memory pool corruption aspect creates a particularly dangerous attack surface since it can lead to system instability, crashes, or more subtle persistence mechanisms that are difficult to detect through standard security monitoring.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-10359 primarily focus on immediate patching and system hardening measures. Trend Micro released updates addressing this vulnerability in subsequent versions of OfficeScan, and organizations should prioritize applying these patches to all affected systems. Additionally, implementing kernel-mode exploit protection mechanisms, disabling unnecessary driver functionalities, and employing privilege separation techniques can help reduce the attack surface. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that detect anomalous IOCTL usage patterns and memory pool modifications. Network segmentation and least privilege access controls can limit the potential damage if exploitation occurs, while regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should identify other potential entry points that attackers might use in conjunction with this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework suggests implementing defensive measures such as process injection detection and monitoring for suspicious kernel-level activities to prevent successful exploitation of similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.