HIGH Microsoft Corporation Vulnerability Alert

Product:

Windows

Summary

The kernel in Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 through Windows 7, including Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, and Windows Server 2008 Gold and SP2, does not properly validate certain BIOS calls when access to 16-bit applications is enabled on a 32-bit x86 platform. This vulnerability allows local users to gain privileges by crafting a VDM_TIB data structure in the Thread Environment Block (TEB) and calling the NtVdmControl function, leading to improperly handled exceptions.

Details

Severity Base Score CVE
HIGH 7.8 CVE-2010-0232

Exploitation

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must have local access to the affected system. They can create a malicious VDM_TIB data structure and invoke the NtVdmControl function to start the NTVDM subsystem. This can lead to privilege escalation by triggering exceptions that the kernel does not handle correctly, allowing the attacker to gain elevated privileges on the system.

Affected Products

  • Windows NT 3.1 – Vulnerable to BIOS call validation issues.
  • Windows 2000 SP4 – Susceptible to privilege escalation through NTVDM.
  • Windows XP SP2 and SP3 – Affected by improper exception handling in the kernel.
  • Windows Server 2003 SP2 – Vulnerable to exploitation via crafted VDM_TIB structures.
  • Windows Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2 – Can be exploited through local access to gain elevated privileges.
  • Windows Server 2008 Gold and SP2 – Affected by the same kernel vulnerability.

Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, users should apply updates as per the vendor’s instructions. Keeping systems updated with the latest security patches is crucial to protect against this and other vulnerabilities.

References