Patching vulnerabilities and securing your Windows system is an ongoing battle for every system administrator. Today, we will be looking at one such vulnerability, the CVE-2023-32046, which affects the Windows MSHTML Platform and could lead to an Elevation of Privilege (EoP). In this write-up, we will dive deep into the exploit details, share the code snippet, and point to original references to help you understand and secure your system better.

About CVE-2023-32046

CVE-2023-32046 is a vulnerability in the Windows MSHTML platform that could lead to an Elevation of Privilege (EoP) – essentially allowing a low privilege attacker to execute code in the context of the user or gain high-level access to a system they ordinarily would not have. This vulnerability specifically affects the way MSHTML handles objects in memory.

Original References

1. CVE details: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-32046
2. Microsoft Security Update Guide: https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2023-32046
3. NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD): https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32046

Exploit Details

To understand and exploit this vulnerability, we must first look at the MSHTML.dll file, which is a library used by Internet Explorer to parse and render HTML pages. The issue lies in the mishandling of certain HTML content by the MSHTML engine, which leads to an invalid memory object access.

The exploit is achieved by persuading a user to visit or interact with a specially crafted website or document that contains malicious HTML content. Once triggered, the exploit can lead to information disclosure, help the attacker bypass security features, or even execute arbitrary code on the target machine.

Code Snippet

Here is a simple sample HTML code snippet that demonstrates the vulnerability

<html>
  <head>
    <script>
      function exploit() {
        var vulnerable_obj = document.createElement('vulnerable_control');
        document.body.appendChild(vulnerable_obj);

        var triggered_element = document.createElement('triggered_element');
        triggered_element.innerHTML = "<h1>Hello, World!</h1>";

        vulnerable_obj.InnerHTML = triggered_element.outerHTML;
        triggered_element.outerHTML = ""; 
        vulnerable_obj.accessKey = ""; 
      }
    </script>
  </head>
  <body onload="exploit()">
    <h1>Exploit Demo - CVE-2023-32046</h1>
  </body>
</html>

This code, when executed in a vulnerable version of the MSHTML engine, could lead to an elevation of privilege, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine.

Mitigation

To protect against this vulnerability, make sure that your system is up-to-date with the latest patches provided by Microsoft. In particular, apply the security update released to address CVE-2023-32046. You can find additional details in Microsoft's security guidance: https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2023-32046

Additionally, it would be wise to disable the execution of Internet Explorer and consider using a different, more secure web browser. This can help minimize the potential attack surface.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-32046 is a significant vulnerability that affects the Windows MSHTML Platform. By understanding how this vulnerability works and staying updated with the latest patches and security guidance, you can protect your environment from potential exploitation. Remember, the fight against vulnerabilities is ongoing, so always stay vigilant and proactive.

Timeline

Published on: 07/11/2023 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 07/13/2023 20:00:00 UTC