CVE-2019-0707 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.To exploit the vulnerability, in a local attack scenario, an attacker could run a specially crafted application to elevate the attacker's privilege level, aka 'Windows NDIS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2019-0707 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 resides in the fundamental networking infrastructure of Windows operating systems, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized administrative access. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the driver's memory handling routines, creating a potential buffer overflow condition that could be leveraged by local attackers to escalate their privileges. The affected component ndis.sys serves as a crucial interface between network drivers and the Windows kernel, handling network communication at the core level of system operations. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning as it operates within the privileged execution context of the kernel, where malicious code could potentially gain complete system control.
The technical flaw manifests when the ndis.sys driver processes network-related data structures without properly validating buffer lengths before performing memory copy operations. This classic buffer over-read condition occurs when the driver attempts to copy data into a destination buffer that is smaller than the source data, resulting in memory corruption that can be exploited to overwrite critical system structures. The vulnerability specifically affects the NDIS protocol handling mechanisms that manage network adapter communications, where attackers could craft malicious network packets or driver interactions that trigger the flawed memory handling logic. According to CWE-129, this vulnerability maps to improper input validation, while the ATT&CK framework categorizes this as privilege escalation through kernel exploitation techniques. The flaw exists in the Windows kernel mode execution environment, where the attacker's malicious code would need to be executed in the context of a local user account to begin the exploitation process, though the ultimate goal is to achieve kernel-level privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-0707 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to gain complete control over affected systems. In a local attack scenario, an authenticated user could execute malicious code that leverages the buffer overflow to execute arbitrary instructions at kernel level, effectively bypassing standard security controls such as user access controls and privilege boundaries. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal network interaction beyond the initial local execution, making it particularly stealthy and difficult to detect through traditional network monitoring. Once elevated, attackers could perform actions such as installing persistent backdoors, extracting sensitive system information, modifying system configurations, or disabling security features. The attack vector involves local code execution that could be initiated through malicious applications, potentially disguised as legitimate software or system utilities. Organizations running affected Windows versions would face significant risk as this vulnerability could be exploited by malware or advanced persistent threat actors without requiring remote network access, making it a high-priority target for exploitation campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-0707 should focus on immediate patch management, as Microsoft released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability through regular Windows updates. System administrators should prioritize deployment of the applicable security patches, particularly for systems that are not automatically updated or are running older Windows versions that may not receive support. Additional defensive measures include implementing least privilege principles to limit the potential impact of exploitation, monitoring for suspicious local process execution patterns, and configuring network access controls to restrict unnecessary local access to affected systems. The vulnerability highlights the importance of kernel-mode security testing and input validation in system drivers, as outlined in the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle guidelines. Network segmentation and endpoint protection solutions should be configured to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around kernel-level memory operations. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unauthorized code that could attempt to exploit this vulnerability, while maintaining comprehensive logging of system events to enable forensic analysis in case of successful exploitation attempts.