CVE-2018-8413 — Windows Theme API Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Executive Summary

A remote code execution vulnerability exists when "Windows Theme API" does not properly decompress files. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights. To exploit the vulnerability, a victim user must open a specially crafted file. In an email attack scenario, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and then convincing the user to open the file. In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website (or leverage a compromised website that accepts or hosts user-provided content) that contains a specially crafted file designed to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force a user to visit the website. Instead, an attacker would have to convince a user to click a link, typically by way of an enticement in an email or Instant Messenger message, and then convince the user to open the specially crafted file. The security update addresses the vulnerability by helping to ensure that "Windows Theme API" properly decompresses files.

Overview

5

CVSS MEDIUM

Important

MS Severity

Not Exploited

MS Exploit Status

More Likely

MS Exploit Likelihood

Category Remote Code Execution

Released Oct 9 2018

Last Updated Oct 9 2018

Publicly Disclosed No

CISA KEV Not Listed

Known Exploits None Known

CVSS Vector

ATTACK VECTOR

Network

ATTACK COMPLEXITY

High

PRIVILEGES REQUIRED

None

USER INTERACTION

Required

SCOPE

Unchanged

CONFIDENTIALITY

Low

INTEGRITY

Low

AVAILABILITY

Low

EXPLOIT CODE MATURITY

Proof-of-Concept

REMEDIATION LEVEL

Official Fix

REPORT CONFIDENCE

Confirmed

Temporal Score: 4.5

EPSS Score

No EPSS score available for this CVE.

View on FIRST.org

Affected Products

19 affected products

Product	KB Article	Severity	Impact	Restart Required
Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems	`4462922 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 for x64-based Systems	`4462922 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems	`4462917 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems	`4462917 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1703 for 32-bit Systems	`4462937 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1703 for x64-based Systems	`4462937 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems	`4462918 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1709 for x64-based Systems	`4462918 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems	`4462919 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems	`4462919 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems	`4464330 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems	`4464330 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 4462923 (Monthly Rollup) 4462915 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457144 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 4462923 (Monthly Rollup) 4462915 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457144 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows 8.1 for 32-bit systems 4462926 (Monthly Rollup) 4462941 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457129 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows 8.1 for x64-based systems 4462926 (Monthly Rollup) 4462941 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457129 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows RT 8.1	`4462926 (Monthly Rollup)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1 4462923 (Monthly Rollup) 4462915 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457144 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 4462923 (Monthly Rollup) 4462915 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457144 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) 4462923 (Monthly Rollup) 4462915 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457144 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows Server 2012 4462929 (Monthly Rollup) 4462931 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457135 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 4462929 (Monthly Rollup) 4462931 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457135 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows Server 2012 R2 4462926 (Monthly Rollup) 4462941 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457129 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 4462926 (Monthly Rollup) 4462941 (Security Only) Important Remote Code Execution 4457129 Base: 5.0 Temporal: 4.5 Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C Yes None Windows Server 2016	`4462917 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)	`4462917 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2019	`4464330 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)	`4464330 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server, version 1709 (Server Core Installation)	`4462918 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server, version 1803 (Server Core Installation)	`4462919 (Security Update)`	Important	Remote Code Execution	Yes

Patches

7 patches

Article	Type	Restart
`4462922`	Security Update	Yes
`4462917`	Security Update	Yes
`4462937`	Security Update	Yes
`4462918`	Security Update	Yes
`4462919`	Security Update	Yes
`4464330`	Security Update	Yes
`4462926`	Monthly Rollup	Yes

Known Exploits

No known exploits have been linked for this CVE yet. When available, exploit references will be sourced from public repositories and may be unverified, incomplete, or non-functional. Always review code carefully before use in any environment.

Acknowledgments

Eduardo Braun Prado working with iDefense Labs

References

MSRC Advisory MITRE NVD