CVE-2018-8252 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-2018-8254.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8252 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Microsoft SharePoint Server that stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the affected SharePoint server fails to properly sanitize web requests containing maliciously crafted payloads, allowing unauthorized users to escalate their privileges and gain elevated access rights within the SharePoint environment. The flaw exists at the request processing level where the server's validation logic does not adequately filter or sanitize user-supplied input, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors to bypass normal access controls and elevate their privileges to administrative or higher-level accounts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of web requests that are processed by SharePoint Server's internal components. When a specially crafted request reaches the server, the insufficient sanitization allows malicious input to be interpreted and executed within the server's processing context. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-20 category of "Improper Input Validation" and can be categorized as a privilege escalation vector that enables attackers to move beyond their initial access level. The attack typically involves crafting HTTP requests that exploit the server's failure to properly validate or sanitize input parameters, potentially allowing attackers to execute code or access restricted resources that should only be available to authorized administrative users.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on SharePoint Server for their collaboration and document management needs. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, document manipulation, user account compromise, and potential lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access points within the SharePoint environment, modify permissions, and potentially use the elevated privileges to compromise other systems within the organization's attack surface. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues and potential data breaches if this vulnerability is exploited successfully, as it directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of information stored within SharePoint environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-8252 should include immediate implementation of Microsoft's security patches and updates released to address this specific vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to SharePoint servers and deploy web application firewalls to help filter malicious requests before they reach the SharePoint infrastructure. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the environment. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege management, following the principle of least privilege, can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1068 for 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and T1190 for 'Exploit Public-Facing Application', making it a critical target for both defensive and offensive security teams to address through comprehensive security controls and monitoring procedures.