Microsoft Windows Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) allows elevated privileges
| win-vdm-gain-privilege (16580) |  High Risk |
Description:
Microsoft Windows could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges, caused by a vulnerability in the Virtual DOS Machine subsystem component. The Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) subsystem imitates MS-DOS and DOS-based Windows on Windows NT platforms. A local attacker could create an application to access protected kernel memory and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
Note: This vulnerability is different than the vulnerability addressed in Microsoft Bulletin MS04-011.
Platforms Affected:
- Microsoft, Windows 2000 SP3
- Microsoft, Windows 2000 SP4
- Microsoft, Windows 2003 Server
- Microsoft, Windows 2003 Server x64
- Microsoft, Windows 98
- Microsoft, Windows 98SE
- Microsoft, Windows Me
- Microsoft, Windows NT 4.0 SP6 Terminal Server
- Microsoft, Windows NT 4.0 SP6a Server
- Microsoft, Windows XP 2003 64-bit
- Microsoft, Windows XP SP1
- Microsoft, Windows XP SP1 64-bit
- Microsoft, Windows XP
Remedy:
Apply the appropriate patch for your system, as listed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-032. See References.
For Windows Server 2003:
Apply the appropriate patch for your system, as listed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-018. See References.
Microsoft originally provided a patch for this vulnerability in MS04-032, but it was superseded by the patch released with MS05-018.
Consequences:
Gain Privileges
References:
- BugTraq Mailing List, Tue Oct 12 2004 - 23:45:50 CDT, EEYE: Windows VDM #UD Local Privilege Escalation at http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2004-10/0108.html.
- CIAC Information Bulletin P-008, Microsoft Security Update for Microsoft Windows (840987) at http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/p-008.shtml.
- Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-032, Security Update for Microsoft Windows (840987) at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms04-032.mspx.
- Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-018, Vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel Could Allow Elevation of Privilege and Denial of Service (890859) at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS05-018.mspx.
- BID-11369: Microsoft Windows Kernel Virtual DOS Machine Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
- CVE-2004-0208: The Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) subsystem of Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 allows local users to access kernel memory and gain privileges via a malicious program that modified some system structures in a way that is not properly validated by privileged operating system functions.
- US-CERT VU#910998: Microsoft Windows kernel fails to properly handle invalid opcodes used in DOS emulation
Reported:
Oct 12, 2004
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