CVE-2023-35319 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 07/11/2023
Remote Procedure Call Runtime Denial of Service Vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2023
This vulnerability affects the Remote Procedure Call runtime environment which is a fundamental component in distributed computing systems that enables programs to execute procedures on remote machines as if they were local operations. The flaw manifests as a denial of service condition that can be triggered through malformed input or improper handling of RPC messages within the runtime execution environment. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to disrupt normal service operations by causing the RPC runtime to crash or become unresponsive, effectively denying legitimate users access to the affected services.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability typically involves insufficient validation of incoming RPC requests or improper memory management during procedure execution within the runtime environment. Attackers can craft malicious RPC messages that either exceed buffer limits, contain malformed data structures, or exploit race conditions in the runtime processing logic. These malformed inputs can cause the RPC runtime to enter an undefined state where it fails to properly handle subsequent legitimate requests or crashes entirely. The vulnerability often stems from CWE-121 which relates to stack-based buffer overflow conditions, or CWE-787 which addresses out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities in memory management systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect critical infrastructure components that rely on RPC for inter-process communication. Systems using distributed architectures such as windows domain controllers, database servers, and enterprise application platforms become vulnerable to this attack vector. When exploited at scale, these denial of service conditions can cascade through networked systems causing widespread service degradation or complete system outages. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because RPC services are often mission-critical and may not have adequate monitoring or failover mechanisms in place to detect and recover from such attacks.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks and can be leveraged as part of broader attack chains targeting system availability. The exploitability is enhanced when combined with reconnaissance activities that identify systems running vulnerable RPC implementations, making it a preferred target for attackers seeking to disrupt business operations or create cover for more sophisticated attacks. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring solutions that detect abnormal RPC traffic patterns and establish robust incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies include applying vendor security patches promptly as these vulnerabilities are typically addressed through runtime updates that correct the input validation logic or memory management issues. Network segmentation can help limit the scope of potential attacks by isolating RPC services from critical production environments. Implementing rate limiting and connection throttling mechanisms at network boundaries can prevent exploitation attempts from overwhelming the RPC runtime with malicious requests. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems that monitor for anomalous RPC traffic patterns and establishing regular security assessments of distributed computing environments will help identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by adversaries.
The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining secure coding practices in distributed systems where components must handle untrusted input from remote sources. Organizations should conduct regular code reviews focusing on RPC implementation logic and ensure that proper defensive programming techniques are employed throughout the development lifecycle. The use of modern security frameworks and runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts targeting these fundamental system components.