Vulnerabilities > CVE-2021-34481 - Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in Microsoft products
Summary
<p>A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Windows Print Spooler service improperly performs privileged file operations. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.</p> <p><strong>UPDATE</strong> August 10, 2021: Microsoft has completed the investigation and has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Please see the Security Updates table for the applicable update for your system. We recommend that you install these updates immediately. This security update changes the Point and Print default behavior; please see <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/help/5005652">KB5005652</a>.</p>
Vulnerable Configurations
Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
- Restful Privilege Elevation Rest uses standard HTTP (Get, Put, Delete) style permissions methods, but these are not necessarily correlated generally with back end programs. Strict interpretation of HTTP get methods means that these HTTP Get services should not be used to delete information on the server, but there is no access control mechanism to back up this logic. This means that unless the services are properly ACL'd and the application's service implementation are following these guidelines then an HTTP request can easily execute a delete or update on the server side. The attacker identifies a HTTP Get URL such as http://victimsite/updateOrder, which calls out to a program to update orders on a database or other resource. The URL is not idempotent so the request can be submitted multiple times by the attacker, additionally, the attacker may be able to exploit the URL published as a Get method that actually performs updates (instead of merely retrieving data). This may result in malicious or inadvertent altering of data on the server.
Related news
- Microsoft shares guidance on new Windows Print Spooler vulnerability (source)
- Microsoft Warns of New Unpatched Windows Print Spooler Vulnerability (source)
- There are new unpatched bugs in Windows Print Spooler (source)
- Microsoft Patch Tuesday, August 2021 Edition (source)
- Microsoft Releases Windows Updates to Patch Actively Exploited Vulnerability (source)
- Microsoft Warns of New Windows Print Spooler RCE Vulnerability (source)
- Microsoft Warns of Another Unpatched Windows Print Spooler RCE Vulnerability (source)
- Microsoft Warns: Another Unpatched PrintNightmare Zero-Day (source)