CWE - CWE-422: Unprotected Windows Messaging Channel ('Shatter') (1.6)

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CWE-422: Unprotected Windows Messaging Channel ('Shatter')

Unprotected Windows Messaging Channel ('Shatter')

Weakness ID: 422 (Weakness Variant)

Status: Draft

Description

Description Summary

The software does not properly verify the source of a message in the Windows Messaging System while running at elevated privileges, creating an alternate channel through which an attacker can directly send a message to the product.

Time of Introduction

Architecture and Design

Applicable Platforms

Languages

All

Observed Examples

Reference	Description
CVE-2002-0971	Bypass GUI and access restricted dialog box.
CVE-2002-1230	Gain privileges via Windows message.
CVE-2003-0350	A control allows a change to a pointer for a callback function using Windows message.
CVE-2003-0908	Product launches Help functionality while running with raised privileges, allowing command execution using Windows message to access "open file" dialog.
CVE-2004-0213	Attacker uses Shatter attack to bypass GUI-enforced protection for CVE-2003-0908.
CVE-2004-0207	User can call certain API functions to modify certain properties of privileged programs.

Potential Mitigations

Phase	Description
	Always verify and authenticate the source of the message.

Relationships

Nature	Type	ID	Name	View(s) this relationship pertains to
ChildOf	Weakness Base	360	Trust of System Event Data	Research Concepts1000
ChildOf	Weakness Base	420	Unprotected Alternate Channel	Development Concepts (primary)699 Research Concepts (primary)1000
ChildOf	Category	634	Weaknesses that Affect System Processes	Resource-specific Weaknesses (primary)631

Relationship Notes

Overlaps privilege errors and UI errors.

Research Gaps

Possibly under-reported, probably under-studied. It is suspected that a number of publicized vulnerabilities that involve local privilege escalation on Windows systems may be related to Shatter attacks, but they are not labeled as such.

Alternate channel attacks likely exist in other operating systems and messaging models, e.g. in privileged X Windows applications, but examples are not readily available.

Affected Resources

System Process

Taxonomy Mappings

Mapped Taxonomy Name	Node ID	Fit	Mapped Node Name
PLOVER			Unprotected Windows Messaging Channel ('Shatter')

References

Paget. "Exploiting design flaws in the Win32 API for privilege escalation. Or... Shatter Attacks - How to break Windows". August, 2002. <http://web.archive.org/web/20060115174629/http://security.tombom.co.uk/shatter.html>.

Content History

Submissions
Submission Date	Submitter	Organization	Source
	PLOVER		Externally Mined

Modifications
Modification Date	Modifier	Organization	Source
2008-07-01	Eric Dalci	Cigital	External
2008-07-01	updated Potential Mitigations, Time of Introduction
2008-09-08	CWE Content Team	MITRE	Internal
2008-09-08	updated Relationships, Other Notes, Taxonomy Mappings
2008-10-14	CWE Content Team	MITRE	Internal
2008-10-14	updated Other Notes, Relationship Notes, Research Gaps

Page Last Updated: October 29, 2009


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