CVE-2019-0727 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector or the Visual Studio Standard Collector allows file deletion in arbitrary locations.To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system, aka 'Diagnostic Hub Standard Collector, Visual Studio Standard Collector Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2023
The CVE-2019-0727 vulnerability represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within Microsoft's diagnostic collection components, specifically affecting the Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector and Visual Studio Standard Collector services. This vulnerability stems from improper privilege validation within the diagnostic infrastructure, creating a path for unauthorized file operations that could be exploited by malicious actors. The flaw allows for arbitrary file deletion operations to be executed with elevated privileges, effectively bypassing normal access controls that should prevent such operations from occurring outside of designated safe zones.
The technical nature of this vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and more specifically relates to CWE-732, improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory. The vulnerability exists because these diagnostic collectors fail to properly validate file paths during deletion operations, allowing attackers to specify arbitrary locations for file removal. When the collectors process diagnostic data, they accept user-supplied input that includes file paths without adequate sanitization or validation, creating an opportunity for path traversal attacks.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability is severe as it requires only local user authentication to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in environments where local access might be more readily available than remote access. The attacker must first establish a local session on the target system, which is often achievable through various means including social engineering, physical access, or exploitation of other vulnerabilities. Once authenticated, the attacker can leverage the vulnerability to delete critical system files, potentially leading to system instability, data loss, or even complete system compromise.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends across multiple Windows operating systems and versions where these diagnostic components are installed. The Visual Studio Standard Collector is typically found in development environments and systems with Visual Studio installed, while the Diagnostics Hub Standard Collector is present in various Windows editions including server and desktop versions. The vulnerability's presence in these diagnostic tools means that any system running these components is potentially at risk, particularly in enterprise environments where diagnostic data collection is common and automated processes may be running with elevated privileges.
According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1068, 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation', and T1548.002, 'Abuse of Cloud Administration APIs', though the latter is more relevant to cloud environments where similar privilege escalation mechanisms might be present. The technique involves leveraging legitimate system tools to perform unauthorized operations, which aligns with the principle of using trusted system components to bypass security controls. The vulnerability's exploitation path follows a typical local privilege escalation pattern where the attacker leverages a legitimate service to perform operations that should be restricted.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-0727 should include immediate application of Microsoft's security patches, which address the improper privilege validation in the diagnostic collectors. Organizations should also implement least privilege principles for diagnostic services, ensuring that these components run with minimal required privileges rather than elevated permissions. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and path sanitization within diagnostic tools would prevent the vulnerability from being exploited. Network segmentation and monitoring for unusual file deletion patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify that diagnostic services are not running with unnecessary privileges. System hardening measures should also include disabling unused diagnostic components and implementing application control policies to restrict execution of potentially vulnerable diagnostic tools.