CVE-2019-1099 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory, aka 'Windows GDI Information Disclosure Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2019-1094, CVE-2019-1095, CVE-2019-1098, CVE-2019-1100, CVE-2019-1101, CVE-2019-1116.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2023
The Windows Graphics Device Interface GDI component represents a critical subsystem within the Microsoft Windows operating system that manages graphics operations and rendering tasks for applications. This vulnerability specifically affects how GDI handles memory management and object disposal, creating an information disclosure scenario that could potentially expose sensitive data stored in memory. The flaw manifests when the system fails to properly sanitize memory contents during certain graphics operations, allowing unauthorized access to previously allocated memory segments that may contain remnants of sensitive information from other processes or previous operations.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and represents a classic case of improper memory handling within a system component. The technical flaw occurs when GDI processes attempt to access or manipulate graphics objects that have already been freed or are in an inconsistent state, leading to memory corruption that reveals contents of adjacent memory regions. Attackers can potentially exploit this by crafting specific graphics operations that trigger the vulnerable code path, causing the system to return memory contents that should remain protected. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because GDI is extensively used by both legitimate applications and malicious software, making it an attractive target for exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially expose sensitive data including credentials, personal information, or proprietary code that may be stored in memory at the time of the vulnerability exploitation. When combined with other attack vectors or used in conjunction with additional vulnerabilities, this information disclosure could enable more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within a network. The vulnerability affects multiple Windows versions including Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016, making it a widespread concern for enterprise environments. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving information gathering and privilege escalation, potentially enabling adversaries to collect sensitive data that could be used for further exploitation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on applying the security patches released by Microsoft as part of their regular update cycle, particularly the cumulative updates that address this specific GDI information disclosure vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unusual graphics processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should consider disabling unnecessary graphics operations and implementing application whitelisting to prevent exploitation through malicious applications. Additionally, regular security assessments should include testing for proper memory handling within graphics components, and security teams should monitor for any reported exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices in system components and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of core operating system services that handle sensitive data processing.