CVE-2024-28912: Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

It’s been yet another busy month in security, with liabilities discovered in a wide range of applications. In this long read post, we are going to highlight and discuss a newly discovered vulnerability in Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server. The designated code for this security issue is CVE-2024-28912. This vulnerability is found in the OLE DB Driver, which is commonly used for high-speed communication between Microsoft SQL Servers and Windows applications. It exposes remote code execution (RCE), resulting in potentially dire consequences for the underlying system if it is compromised.

Let’s dive deeper into the vulnerability, its origins, potential exploit methods, and possible mitigation techniques.

Vulnerability

CVE-2024-28912 is a remote code execution vulnerability that arises as a specific flaw in Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server. The vulnerability exists in how the SQL Server processes specific requests, which can lead to a buffer overflow issue. Buffer overflow is a situation where an application writes data beyond the allocated buffer, resulting in overwriting adjacent memory locations. The subsequent manipulation of memory may lead to arbitrary code execution.

Reference:

* Microsoft Security Advisory - ADV2022-0074
* NVD - CVE-2024-28912

Exploit Details

While the vulnerability is still relatively new, some exploit variants have already been identified. Preliminary indications suggest that these exploits can potentially be executed remotely without requiring any user interaction. For now, no proof of concept exploits are readily available, making it harder for hackers to exploit this bug. However, given the severity of the vulnerability, one must assume that exploits will eventually surface in the wild.

A simplified example of vulnerable code may look like this

void read_data(char *buffer, int size) {
    if (size > 2048) {
        // vulnerability: no buffer size check, leading to overflow
        memcpy(buffer, request_data, size);
    }
}

int main() {
    char buffer[2048];
    int size_received = receive_request_size();
    read_data(buffer, size_received);
    return ;
}

In this code, the function read_data() doesn't check if the incoming data size is larger than the buffer size. Consequently, a malicious user can exploit it by feeding an abnormally large size_received variable to the application, resulting in buffer overflow and possible remote code execution.

Mitigation

Microsoft has released a security update to patch the vulnerability in its OLE DB Driver for SQL Server. Users are advised to apply this update as soon as possible to mitigate the risk of exploitation. Additionally, given that this issue could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data, it is imperative for those managing SQL Servers to ensure proper access control and network segmentation are in place. These measures will help prevent the potential spread of an exploit within the network.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-28912 is a critical vulnerability in Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server exposing these systems to remote code execution threats. It is vital for administrators and developers to keep software up-to-date and follow best practices for avoiding the accidental introduction of vulnerabilities. The patch for this vulnerability is now available, and users should immediately implement the update to protect their systems from possible exploitation.

Stay vigilant, stay safe, and keep your software patched and updated!

Timeline

Published on: 04/09/2024 17:15:50 UTC
Last modified on: 04/10/2024 13:24:00 UTC