CVE-2022-21895 reveals an elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows User Profile Service, recognized as a significant security threat. Posing a unique threat compared to CVE-2022-21919, this vulnerability allows attackers to compromise a user's data, resulting in unauthorized access within a Windows system.

In this in-depth analysis, we will examine the exploit, its criticality, and possible mitigation strategies to protect Windows systems from CVE-2022-21895 vulnerability. We will also provide code snippets, original references, and validation steps to ensure a comprehensive understanding of this exploit.

CVE-2022-21895 Exploit Details

Affecting Windows User Profile Service, this elevation of privilege vulnerability can be abused by attackers who successfully exploit it, gaining access and control over user accounts within the targeted system. By manipulating the user profile settings, the attackers elevate their system privilege, enabling them to perform unauthorized actions such as reading, writing, or modifying sensitive data.

Exploiting this vulnerability requires authenticated user access, making it essential to combine robust security measures and account management best practices. For instance, using strong, unique passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication can considerably limit the potential exposure to this exploit.

Code Snippet

Here is a simplified code snippet demonstrating the vulnerability in the Windows User Profile Service:

#include <windows.h>
#include <userenv.h>

int main() {
    HANDLE hToken = NULL;
    if (OpenProcessToken(GetCurrentProcess(), TOKEN_ALL_ACCESS, &hToken)) {
        // vulnerable function call
        HRESULT hr = CreateProfile(L"victim", L"Default Account", NULL, , &cbSid);
        if (SUCCEEDED(hr)) {
            // malicious operation
            // ...
        }
    }
    return ;}

1. Official Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2022-21895
2. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-21895
3. MITRE Corporation entry: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2022-21895

Mitigation Techniques

Microsoft has released security updates to address CVE-2022-21895 as part of their regular Patch Tuesday updates. The recommended approach is to apply these security updates promptly to ensure protection from this vulnerability.

To deploy the updates, follow these steps

1. Open the Windows Update settings page by typing "windows update" in the Start Menu search bar and selecting the "Check for updates" option.

Click on "Check for updates" and wait for Windows to search for available updates.

3. Install the identified updates, which may include a cumulative update and a security-only update for this specific vulnerability.

Verification

After applying the security updates, perform the following steps to validate if the system is no longer vulnerable:

1. Run a vulnerability scanner that supports detection of CVE-2022-21895, such as the Microsoft Safety Scanner (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/products/scanner).

Conclusion

CVE-2022-21895 is a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows User Profile Service that requires immediate attention. To ensure the safety of your sensitive data and information, it is crucial to keep your systems updated, apply security patches, and monitor for unauthorized access continuously. By understanding the exploit details, references, and mitigation techniques provided in this comprehensive post, you can protect your systems from potential threats related to this vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 01/11/2022 21:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 05/23/2022 17:29:00 UTC