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CVE-2023-36805: Windows MSHTML Platform Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability Analysis and Exploitation

Poster -

CVE-2023-36805 identifies a security feature bypass vulnerability in the Microsoft HTML (MSHTML) platform, which could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This is an in-depth analysis of this particular vulnerability, including details on how it is exploited, code snippets to demonstrate exploitation, and links to original references and resources.

Details of CVE-2023-36805

MSHTML, also known as Trident, is the core engine used by Internet Explorer to render HTML content. While Internet Explorer is now a deprecated product in favor of Microsoft Edge, MSHTML is still widely used by different Windows components and applications, making this vulnerability relevant to a large number of users.

The vulnerability of CVE-2023-36805 is classified as a security feature bypass vulnerability due to the fact that it allows attackers to bypass specific security measures implemented in the MSHTML platform. By exploiting this vulnerability, attackers can potentially gain unauthorized access to various resources, execute code remotely, or even modify system settings.

Exploiting the Vulnerability

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would typically craft a specially designed HTML document that contains malicious code. This document, when rendered by a vulnerable MSHTML platform, would lead to a bypass of the platform's security features and subsequently allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Code Snippet

To better illustrate the exploitation process, let's examine a simplified code snippet showing how this vulnerability can be exploited:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>CVE-2023-36805 Exploit</title>
</head>
<body>
  <script>
    // Craft malicious payload
    var payload = "REPLACE WITH SHELLCODE";
    
    // Exploit the vulnerability
    function triggerVuln() {
      // Code to bypass MSHTML security features
      // and execute the attacker-supplied payload
    }
    
    triggerVuln();
  </script>
</body>
</html>

In the code snippet above, the "payload" variable holds the attacker's malicious shellcode. The triggerVuln() function is responsible for exploiting the MSHTML platform security feature bypass vulnerability and executing the provided payload. Of course, the specific implementation details are intentionally left out for security reasons.

Original References

1. Official Microsoft Security Advisory: Link to CVE-2023-36805 Advisory
2. NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD): Link to NVD Entry

Conclusion

CVE-2023-36805 poses a significant risk to systems relying on the MSHTML platform due to its ability to bypass security features and execute arbitrary code. It is important for system administrators and security professionals to stay informed about vulnerabilities like this and take appropriate action to mitigate their impact.

To protect against exploitation of this vulnerability, it's essential to apply all recommended security updates and patches provided by Microsoft. Periodically review the official Microsoft Security Advisory and the NIST National Vulnerability Database for other relevant vulnerabilities and remediation guidance.

Timeline

Published on: 09/12/2023 17:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 09/14/2023 00:30:00 UTC