CVE-2019-1086 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
An elevation of privilege exists in Windows Audio Service, aka 'Windows Audio Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2019-1087, CVE-2019-1088.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2020
The Windows Audio Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Microsoft Windows operating systems that allows local attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user level to system level execution. This vulnerability specifically targets the Windows Audio Service component which manages audio functionality and device drivers within the operating system. The flaw exists in the service's handling of certain input parameters and memory management operations, creating an opportunity for malicious code execution with elevated privileges. Security researchers identified that the vulnerability stems from improper validation of service requests and insufficient access controls within the audio subsystem. This issue affects multiple Windows versions including Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019, making it a widespread concern across enterprise and consumer environments. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because audio services typically run with elevated privileges to ensure proper device functionality, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by adversaries with minimal initial access. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-264, which describes permissions, privileges, and access control issues, specifically involving improper handling of privilege escalation mechanisms within Windows services. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically T1068 which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system to gain higher privileges. The technical implementation of this flaw involves manipulation of audio service communication protocols, potentially through crafted audio files or device driver interactions that trigger buffer overflows or memory corruption. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by first gaining standard user access through various means such as phishing or social engineering, then exploiting the audio service to execute malicious code with system-level privileges. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it could enable full system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent access within affected networks. Organizations running vulnerable systems face significant risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data, potential lateral movement within networks, and complete system takeover. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and can be automated through existing attack frameworks, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple systems may be simultaneously vulnerable. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through security updates that modified the audio service's privilege handling mechanisms and implemented additional input validation checks. The remediation efforts focused on strengthening the service's access controls and ensuring proper privilege separation between different system components. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability immediately, as it has been actively exploited in the wild. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining robust security controls in system services that operate with elevated privileges, highlighting how seemingly benign components like audio services can become critical attack vectors. Security professionals should monitor for indicators of compromise related to audio service exploitation attempts and implement additional network monitoring to detect potential abuse of this vulnerability. This case study reinforces the necessity of comprehensive security testing for all system components, particularly those that handle user input or operate with elevated privileges, as these areas represent common targets for privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of principle of least privilege implementation in Windows services, where audio services should not operate with unnecessary elevated privileges that could be exploited by attackers.