CVE-2018-8323 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-2018-8299.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8323 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Microsoft SharePoint Server that arises from inadequate sanitization of malicious web requests. This weakness allows attackers to escalate their privileges within the SharePoint environment, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data and system resources. The vulnerability specifically manifests when SharePoint Server fails to properly validate and sanitize input from crafted web requests, creating an avenue for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust mechanisms and execute unauthorized operations with elevated privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and CWE-79, which addresses cross-site scripting flaws that can be leveraged for privilege escalation. The flaw operates by exploiting the server's insufficient validation of user-supplied input in web requests, allowing attackers to inject malicious code or manipulate server behavior through carefully crafted HTTP requests. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting legitimate credentials and privileges to gain system access, and T1072, which covers the use of remote services for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-8323 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to access confidential documents, modify SharePoint configurations, and potentially establish persistent access to the affected server. Organizations running SharePoint Server are particularly vulnerable since the attack vector involves standard web traffic that can be easily monitored and exploited without requiring specialized tools or techniques. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of SharePoint Server, making it a widespread concern for enterprises that rely on Microsoft's collaboration platform.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate application of Microsoft's security patches and updates, implementation of network segmentation to limit access to SharePoint servers, and deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their SharePoint environments, implement proper access controls and least privilege principles, and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous web requests that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and the potential consequences when such protections are inadequate, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security measures that address both application-level and network-level defenses.