CVE-2018-8360 in .NET Framework
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft .NET Framework that could allow an attacker to access information in multi-tenant environments, aka ".NET Framework Information Disclosure Vulnerability." This affects Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7/4.7.1/4.7.2, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.1, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.2/4.7/4.7.1/4.7.2, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.2, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6/4.6.1/4.6.2/4.7/4.7.1/4.7.1/4.7.2, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.1/4.7.2, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2, Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6/4.6.1/4.6.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2023
The CVE-2018-8360 vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Microsoft .NET Framework implementations that fundamentally compromises the security isolation mechanisms in multi-tenant environments. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory management and object state persistence across different application domains, creating potential pathways for unauthorized data access between separate tenant contexts. The flaw specifically affects a broad spectrum of .NET Framework versions spanning from version 2.0 through the latest 4.7.2 releases, indicating a widespread impact across Microsoft's framework ecosystem. The vulnerability operates at the core level of .NET's memory management architecture, where objects from different security contexts may retain references or state information that should be properly isolated according to security boundaries.
This information disclosure vulnerability manifests when .NET Framework applications running in multi-tenant scenarios fail to properly clear or reset object states between different execution contexts. The flaw allows an attacker to potentially access sensitive data that should be isolated within specific tenant boundaries, effectively breaking the fundamental security assumptions of multi-tenant architectures. The technical implementation involves memory layout issues where objects that should be garbage collected or properly disposed of maintain references to data structures that contain information from other tenants. This behavior violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to cross-tenant data leakage, particularly in cloud computing environments where multiple organizations share the same physical infrastructure. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005 (Data from Local System) and T1041 (Exfiltration Over Command and Control Channel) when exploited in targeted attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-8360 extends beyond simple data leakage to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks including credential theft, session hijacking, and privilege escalation within compromised multi-tenant environments. Organizations running .NET applications in shared hosting environments, cloud services, or software-as-a-service platforms face significant risk exposure, as the vulnerability can be exploited to access confidential information belonging to other customers or tenants. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gather intelligence about other users' sessions, application configurations, or even sensitive business data that should remain isolated. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where .NET Framework applications handle personal identifiable information, financial data, or proprietary business information. The exploitation requires relatively minimal privileges and can be automated, making it attractive to threat actors targeting multi-tenant cloud services and shared hosting providers.
Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through comprehensive framework updates that included enhanced memory management controls and improved object state isolation mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the relevant security patches, reviewing application configurations for proper .NET Framework version management, and implementing additional monitoring controls to detect potential exploitation attempts. The recommended remediation approach involves upgrading to patched versions of .NET Framework, typically .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later, which contain the necessary memory isolation improvements. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation, application firewalls, and enhanced logging to monitor for suspicious activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional mitigations include reviewing application code for proper disposal of sensitive objects, implementing regular security assessments, and maintaining updated threat intelligence feeds to monitor for related attack patterns targeting .NET Framework vulnerabilities. The fix addresses the underlying architectural weakness in .NET's object lifetime management and ensures proper memory cleanup between application domains, preventing the cross-tenant information leakage that was previously possible.