CVE-2022-37992 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 11/10/2022
Windows Group Policy Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2022-41086.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical elevation of privilege flaw within the Windows Group Policy service that allows attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user level to system level execution. The vulnerability specifically affects the Group Policy processing mechanism within Windows operating systems, where improper validation of user inputs during policy application creates an opportunity for malicious code execution with elevated privileges. The flaw resides in how Windows handles certain Group Policy objects that contain crafted malicious content, enabling unauthorized users to manipulate the policy processing pipeline and gain unauthorized access to system resources. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because Group Policy is a foundational component of Windows domain management and is widely deployed across enterprise environments, making it a prime target for attackers seeking persistent access and system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Group Policy service when processing certain policy attributes that control user and system behavior. Attackers can exploit this by creating or modifying Group Policy objects that contain malicious payloads or crafted parameters that bypass normal security checks during policy application. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the Group Policy service processes certain registry-based policy settings or script execution components that do not properly validate the integrity of incoming data. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious code that executes with elevated privileges during the policy processing cycle, effectively granting them system-level access. The flaw operates at the kernel level within the Windows Group Policy subsystem, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged to bypass traditional user access controls and security boundaries. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-191 Integer Underflow or Wraparound, as the improper handling of policy object sizes and offsets can lead to memory corruption and privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can be leveraged to establish persistent backdoors, deploy additional malware, or conduct lateral movement within compromised networks. Attackers can use this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources, modify critical registry settings, and install persistent malware that survives system reboots. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond the initial Group Policy application process, making it particularly stealthy and difficult to detect. Organizations with domain-joined systems are at heightened risk since Group Policy is routinely applied across multiple machines, allowing attackers to propagate their compromise across entire network domains. The vulnerability also affects Windows Server environments, where Group Policy is extensively used for system administration and security enforcement. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1068 Privilege Escalation and T1547 Group Policy Policy Modification, representing a significant vector for attackers seeking to establish persistent access and maintain control over compromised systems. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the fact that Group Policy updates are typically applied automatically, reducing the window of opportunity for detection and remediation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch management and network segmentation to limit the impact of potential exploitation. Microsoft has released security updates that address this specific vulnerability through patches to the Group Policy service and related components. Organizations should prioritize applying these updates across all affected systems, particularly domain controllers and member servers that process Group Policy objects. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual Group Policy processing activities or unauthorized modifications to policy objects. Implementing least privilege principles for Group Policy management and restricting the ability to modify critical policy settings can significantly reduce the attack surface. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular audits of Group Policy objects to identify and remove any unauthorized or suspicious policy configurations. Security teams should also implement monitoring for abnormal privilege escalation events and ensure proper incident response procedures are in place to quickly detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the need for robust network monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation of foundational Windows services.