CVE-2018-8999 in Advanced SystemCare Ultimate
Summary
by MITRE
In Advanced SystemCare Ultimate 11.0.1.58, the driver file (Monitor_win7_x64.sys) allows local users to cause a denial of service (BSOD) or possibly have unspecified other impact because of not validating input values from IOCtl 0x9c4060c4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-8999 resides within Advanced SystemCare Ultimate version 11.0.1.58 and specifically targets the Monitor_win7_x64.sys driver component. This driver file operates at a privileged kernel level within the Windows operating system, making it a critical attack surface for potential exploitation. The flaw manifests through improper input validation mechanisms within the driver's implementation of IOCTL (Input/Output Control) handling, specifically for the control code 0x9c4060c4. The absence of proper validation allows malicious input data to flow directly into kernel memory operations without adequate sanitization or verification, creating a pathway for unauthorized system manipulation. This type of vulnerability represents a classic example of insufficient input validation, which is catalogued under CWE-20 by the Common Weakness Enumeration project and falls under the broader category of buffer overflows and memory corruption issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, though that remains the primary concern. Local attackers with standard user privileges can leverage this weakness to trigger a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) by sending malformed input data through the vulnerable IOCTL interface. However, the potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that the vulnerability might also enable privilege escalation or information disclosure scenarios, depending on the exact nature of the input processing and memory handling within the driver. The kernel-level execution context means that successful exploitation could potentially compromise the entire system integrity, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and demonstrates how kernel-mode vulnerabilities can be weaponized for broader system compromise.
The technical implementation flaw lies in the driver's failure to validate parameters received from user-mode applications through the IOCTL interface. When applications communicate with kernel drivers, they typically use specific control codes to request particular services, and these requests should undergo rigorous validation to prevent malformed data from causing system instability or security breaches. The Monitor_win7_x64.sys driver does not properly sanitize or verify the data structures passed to the 0x9c4060c4 IOCTL handler, creating a condition where attackers can craft malicious input that causes unpredictable behavior in kernel memory. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the Windows kernel, where the security boundaries are already compromised when malicious code executes in that environment. The lack of input validation creates a direct path for attackers to manipulate kernel memory structures, potentially leading to system crashes or more severe consequences such as privilege escalation to SYSTEM level access. Security researchers have noted that such kernel-level vulnerabilities often require sophisticated exploitation techniques and are typically targeted by advanced persistent threat groups due to their potential for system-wide compromise, making CVE-2018-8999 a significant concern for enterprise environments where privilege escalation capabilities could be leveraged for prolonged system infiltration.