The untrusted search path vulnerability in Windows Mail and Windows Meeting Space allows local users to gain privileges through a Trojan horse DLL in the current working directory. This affects multiple versions of Microsoft Windows, including Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7. The vulnerability is also known as the ‘Windows Mail Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability.’
Details
| Severity | Base Score | CVE |
|---|---|---|
| HIGH | 7.3 | CVE-2011-2016 |
Exploitation
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must place a malicious DLL file in the current working directory of a user running Windows Mail or Windows Meeting Space. When the application is launched, it may load the malicious DLL, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user.
Affected Products
- Windows Mail: An email client that is vulnerable to DLL hijacking.
- Windows Meeting Space: A collaboration tool that can also be exploited through the same vulnerability.
- Microsoft Windows Vista SP2: Affected version of the operating system.
- Windows Server 2008 SP2, R2, and R2 SP1: Server versions that are also vulnerable.
- Windows 7 Gold and SP1: Additional affected versions of the operating system.
Mitigation
To mitigate this vulnerability, users should ensure that they do not run untrusted applications or open untrusted files in Windows Mail or Windows Meeting Space. Additionally, applying the latest security updates from Microsoft can help protect against this and other vulnerabilities.