Microsoft Windows Installer CVE-2019-0973 DLL Loading Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Description

Microsoft Windows is prone to a local privilege-escalation vulnerability. A local attacker can leverage this issue to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

Technologies Affected

• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1709 for ARM64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1803 for 32-bit Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1803 for ARM64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1803 for x64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 for x64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 version 1703 for 32-bit Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 version 1703 for x64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 version 1709 for 32-bit Systems
• Microsoft Windows 10 version 1709 for x64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems SP1
• Microsoft Windows 7 for x64-based Systems SP1
• Microsoft Windows 8.1 for 32-bit Systems
• Microsoft Windows 8.1 for x64-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows RT 8.1
• Microsoft Windows Server 1803
• Microsoft Windows Server 1903
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems SP1
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems SP1
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems SP2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems SP2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems SP2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012
• Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2016
• Microsoft Windows Server 2019

Recommendations

Permit local access for trusted individuals only. Where possible, use restricted environments and restricted shells.
Ensure that only trusted users have local, interactive access to affected computers.

Implement multiple redundant layers of security.
Since this issue may be leveraged to execute code, we recommend memory-protection schemes, such as non-executable stack/heap configurations and randomly mapped memory segments. This tactic may complicate exploits of memory-corruption vulnerabilities.

Updates are available. Please see the references or vendor advisory for more information.