CVE-2018-8342 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) when ndis.sys fails to check the length of a buffer prior to copying memory to it, aka "Windows NDIS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability." This affects Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-8343.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8342 represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the Windows Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) component, specifically within the ndis.sys kernel driver. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly verify buffer lengths before memory copy operations occur. The vulnerability exists in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems, making these platforms particularly susceptible to exploitation by malicious actors seeking to escalate their privileges within the system. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with buffer overflow conditions, where insufficient bounds checking allows for potential memory corruption and unauthorized access to privileged system resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a classic buffer overrun scenario where the ndis.sys driver processes user-supplied data without proper validation of the input buffer size. When the driver attempts to copy data into a destination buffer, it does not verify that the source data will fit within the allocated memory space, creating an opportunity for attackers to craft malicious input that exceeds the intended buffer boundaries. This failure in input validation directly maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it operates within kernel space, meaning successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise and arbitrary code execution with the highest privilege levels available to the system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments running affected Windows versions, as it enables local attackers with minimal privileges to escalate their access rights to SYSTEM level privileges. The attack vector typically involves a malicious user or process that can interact with the NDIS subsystem, potentially through network driver manipulation or by leveraging other initial access vectors. Once exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to bypass standard security controls and gain unrestricted access to system resources, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system persistence, or further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in corporate environments where network connectivity is prevalent and where attackers may already have limited user access to leverage for more substantial breaches.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-8342 primarily focus on applying Microsoft's official security updates and patches released in August 2018 as part of the Windows security bulletin MS18-074. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of these patches across all affected systems, particularly those running Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 environments. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also considering network segmentation and privilege minimization strategies to limit potential damage from successful attacks. The vulnerability's characteristics align with tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting kernel-level exploits that leverage system driver vulnerabilities to achieve elevated privileges. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential custom or third-party NDIS drivers that might be susceptible to similar issues and ensure comprehensive patch management processes are in place to address future similar vulnerabilities.