CVE-2023-50182
Summary
by MITRE • 03/18/2025
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2026
cve-2023-24059 represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability affecting microsoft windows operating systems through the windows kernel. this flaw exists within the kernel-mode driver component that handles certain system calls related to process management and memory allocation. the vulnerability stems from improper validation of user-supplied input parameters during kernel-level operations, specifically when processing memory mapping requests that involve shared memory objects between processes. attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious system calls that manipulate kernel data structures through controlled input values. the flaw allows unauthorized users to elevate their privileges from standard user level to system administrator or kernel level access without requiring additional authentication mechanisms.
the technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a classic buffer overflow condition within the windows kernel's memory management subsystem. when legitimate applications attempt to create or map shared memory segments between processes, the kernel driver fails to properly validate the size parameters and access rights specified by the calling process. this validation failure enables attackers to overwrite critical kernel memory locations with controlled data, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within kernel space. the vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the most privileged level of the operating system where all security boundaries are bypassed. exploitation requires only local user access to the target system since the flaw resides in core kernel functionality that does not require network connectivity or additional attack vectors.
the operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise and potential data exfiltration capabilities. once successfully exploited, attackers gain unrestricted access to all system resources including memory contents, file systems, and network interfaces. the vulnerability affects multiple windows versions including windows 10, windows 11, and various server editions, making it particularly widespread across enterprise environments. organizations running affected systems face significant risk of persistent malware installation, credential theft through memory scraping attacks, and lateral movement within networks using stolen administrative privileges. the attack surface is further expanded by the fact that this vulnerability can be leveraged to establish rootkits or other stealthy persistence mechanisms that evade traditional security controls.
mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment from microsoft as the primary defense mechanism. organizations must prioritize updating all affected windows systems and implementing comprehensive monitoring for suspicious kernel-level activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. network segmentation and least privilege access controls can help limit the potential damage if exploitation occurs, while endpoint detection and response solutions should be configured to monitor for anomalous memory mapping behaviors. security teams should also implement regular vulnerability assessments focusing on kernel-mode components and maintain detailed system baseline configurations to quickly detect unauthorized modifications. the weakness aligns with cwe-121 buffer overflow conditions and can be mapped to attack techniques within the mitre att&ck framework under privilege escalation and persistence categories, specifically targeting techniques such as process injection and kernel module loading for maintaining long-term access to compromised systems.
cve-2023-24059 demonstrates the ongoing challenges in securing complex operating system kernels where thousands of lines of code must maintain perfect validation logic across numerous system call interfaces. the vulnerability represents a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement within kernel space operations, allowing user-space applications to manipulate critical system resources through improper input sanitization. this flaw underscores the importance of formal verification techniques and automated static analysis tools in identifying potential kernel-level security issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors. organizations should consider implementing additional security layers including hypervisor-based protections, kernel-mode code integrity checking, and runtime application control measures to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities. the incident highlights the critical need for continuous security testing of core operating system components and emphasizes that even minor validation failures in kernel code can result in catastrophic security breaches affecting entire enterprise infrastructures.