PT-2008-09: Microsoft Windows MSMQ Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Affected Software

Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
Windows XP Service Pack 2
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2
Windows Vista

Vendor Link:
http://www.microsoft.com

Severity Rating

Severity: High
Impact: Privilege Escalation
Attack Vector: Local

CVSS v2:
Base Score: 7.2
Vector: (AV:L/AC:M/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C)

CVE: CVE-2009-1922

Vulnerability Description

Positive Technologies Research Team has discovered a privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows Message Queuing service (MSMQ).

The IOCTL handler in mqac.sys does not properly validate buffer data associated with the Irp object, which allows local users to crash the system or execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges.

Solution

Vendor has issued patches and advisory:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms09-040.mspx

Disclosure Timeline

11/19/2008 - Vendor notified
11/21/2008 - Vendor response
08/11/2009 - Vendor released patches
08/12/2009 - Public disclosure

Credits

This vulnerability was discovered by Nikita Tarakanov, Positive Technologies Research Team.

References

http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/PT-2008-09
http://www.ptsecurity.ru/advisory.asp

Complete list of vulnerability reports published by Positive Technologies Research Team:

http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/
http://www.ptsecurity.ru/advisory.asp

Threatscape