Microsoft Security Bulletin MS14-002 - Important

• 10/11/2017
• 11 minutes to read
• • 

Vulnerability in Windows Kernel Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (2914368)

Published: January 14, 2014

Version: 1.0

General Information

Executive Summary

This security update resolves a publicly reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to a system and runs a specially crafted application. An attacker must have valid logon credentials and be able to log on locally to exploit this vulnerability.

This security update is rated Important for all supported editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by correctly validating input passed to the Windows Kernel component. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.

This security update also addresses the vulnerability first described in Microsoft Security Advisory 2814486.

Recommendation.  Most customers have automatic updating enabled and will not need to take any action because this security update will be downloaded and installed automatically. Customers who have not enabled automatic updating need to check for updates and install this update manually. For information about specific configuration options in automatic updating, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 294871.

For administrators and enterprise installations, or end users who want to install this security update manually, Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update at the earliest opportunity using update management software, or by checking for updates using the Microsoft Update service.

See also the section, Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance, later in this bulletin.

Knowledge Base Article

• Knowledge Base Article: 2914368
• File Information: Yes
• SHA1/SHA2 hashes: Yes
• Known issues: None

Affected and Non-Affected Software

The following software has been tested to determine which versions or editions are affected. Other versions or editions are either past their support life cycle or are not affected. To determine the support life cycle for your software version or edition, see Microsoft Support Lifecycle.

Affected Software

Non-Affected Software

Kernel NDProxy Vulnerability - CVE-2013-5065

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the NDProxy component of the Windows kernel due to improper validation of input passed from user mode to the kernel. The vulnerability could allow an attacker to run code in kernel mode. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run a specially crafted application and take complete control of an affected system. The attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full administrator rights.

To view this vulnerability as a standard entry in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list, see CVE-2013-5065.

Mitigating Factors

Mitigation refers to a setting, common configuration, or general best-practice, existing in a default state, that could reduce the severity of exploitation of a vulnerability. The following mitigating factors may be helpful in your situation:

• An attacker must have valid logon credentials and be able to log on locally to exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability could not be exploited remotely or by anonymous users.

Workarounds

Workaround refers to a setting or configuration change that does not correct the underlying vulnerability but would help block known attack vectors before you apply the update. Microsoft has tested the following workarounds and states in the discussion whether a workaround reduces functionality:

• Reroute the NDProxy service to Null.sys

  For environments with non-default, limited user privileges, Microsoft has verified that the following workaround effectively blocks the attacks that have been observed in the wild.

  To implement this workaround, follow these steps:

  1. From an elevated command prompt, execute the following commands:

         sc stop ndproxy
         reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ndproxy /v ImagePath /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d system32\drivers\null.sys /f
     

  2. Restart the system.  

  Impact of workaround. Disabling NDProxy.sys will cause certain services that rely on Windows Telephony Application Programming Interfaces (TAPI) to not function. Services that will no longer work include Remote Access Service (RAS), dial-up networking, and virtual private networking (VPN).

  How to undo the workaround.

  To undo this workaround, follow these steps:

  1. From an elevated command prompt, execute the following commands:

         sc stop ndproxy
         reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ndproxy /v ImagePath /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d system32\drivers\ndproxy.sys /f
     

  2. Restart the system.

FAQ

What is the scope of the vulnerability?
This is an elevation of privilege vulnerability.

What causes the vulnerability?
The vulnerability is caused when the NDProxy.sys kernel component fails to properly validate input.

What is NDPROXY?
NDPROXY is a system-provided driver that interfaces WAN miniport drivers, call managers, and miniport call managers to the Telephony Application Programming Interfaces (TAPI) services. For additional information, see MSDN article, NDPROXY Overview.

What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full administrative rights.

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?
To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and take complete control over the affected system.

What systems are primarily at risk from the vulnerability?
Workstations and terminal servers are primarily at risk. Servers could be at more risk if administrators allow users to log on to servers and to run programs. However, best practices strongly discourage allowing this.

What does the update do?
The update addresses the vulnerability by correctly validating input passed to the Windows Kernel component.

When this security bulletin was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?
Yes. This vulnerability has been publicly disclosed. It has been assigned Common Vulnerability and Exposure number CVE-2013-5065. This vulnerability was first described in Microsoft Security Advisory 2914486.

When this security bulletin was issued, had Microsoft received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?
Yes. Microsoft was aware of limited, targeted attacks that attempt to exploit this vulnerability.

Detection and Deployment Tools and Guidance

Several resources are available to help administrators deploy security updates. 

• Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) lets administrators scan local and remote systems for missing security updates and common security misconfigurations. 
• Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Systems Management Server (SMS), and System Center Configuration Manager help administrators distribute security updates. 
• The Update Compatibility Evaluator components included with Application Compatibility Toolkit aid in streamlining the testing and validation of Windows updates against installed applications. 

For information about these and other tools that are available, see Security Tools for IT Pros. 

Security Update Deployment

Windows XP (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.

Note The update for supported versions of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition also applies to supported versions of Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition.

Windows Server 2003 (all editions)

Reference Table

The following table contains the security update information for this software.