CVE-2019-0889 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Jet Database Engine improperly handles objects in memory, aka 'Jet Database Engine Remote Code Execution Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2019-0890, CVE-2019-0891, CVE-2019-0893, CVE-2019-0894, CVE-2019-0895, CVE-2019-0896, CVE-2019-0897, CVE-2019-0898, CVE-2019-0899, CVE-2019-0900, CVE-2019-0901, CVE-2019-0902.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2019-0889 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within the Windows Jet Database Engine, a component that has been integral to Microsoft's database infrastructure for decades. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the engine fails to properly handle objects in memory, creating a condition that allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The Jet Database Engine serves as the foundation for numerous Microsoft applications including Access, Outlook, and various enterprise solutions, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could potentially affect a vast array of systems across different organizational environments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper memory handling within the Jet Database Engine's object management processes. When processing specially crafted database objects, the engine fails to validate memory boundaries properly, leading to potential buffer overflows or memory corruption scenarios. This flaw falls under the CWE-121 category of "Stack-based Buffer Overflow" and potentially CWE-122 for "Heap-based Buffer Overflow" as the memory corruption can occur in different memory regions depending on the specific exploitation vector. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the core database engine level, meaning that any application or service that relies on Jet database functionality could become compromised through a single malicious database file or memory object.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2019-0889 extends far beyond simple system compromise, as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted process. This capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing scenarios where users open malicious database files. Organizations running systems with the affected Jet Database Engine components face significant risk, particularly those that process untrusted database content or have legacy applications that depend on this engine for data storage and retrieval operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-0889 should prioritize immediate patch deployment through Microsoft's regular security updates, as the vulnerability was addressed in the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS19-037. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of systems running vulnerable components, while also deploying application whitelisting solutions to prevent execution of unauthorized database processing applications. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual database file access patterns and memory allocation behaviors that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate any legacy systems that may be running unsupported versions of the Jet Database Engine, as these systems represent the most vulnerable attack surfaces. The vulnerability's classification under the broader category of database engine memory corruption issues emphasizes the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive application security measures across all database-dependent systems within an organization's infrastructure.