Cyber security

CVE-2023-36723 – Windows Sandbox Directory Creation Vulnerability

This is PoC for arbitrary directory creation bug in Container Manager service.

This PoC is not thoroughly tested so it may not even work most of the time (it was enough for msrc to confirm vulnerability).

In order to exploit this vulnerability a Windows Sandbox feature have to be installed on windows host. When Windows Sandbox feature is installed a set of directories will be created in c:\programdata directory.

One of those directories is C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Containers\BaseImages\<GUID>\BaseLayer. This directory is different as it gives authenticated users group modify permissions on all child objects.

If BaseLayer directory is empty or some of directories inside it are removed, next time when Windows sandbox is started, a process cmimageworker.exe will recreate those directories/files without checking for symbolic links and set DACL that allows authenticated users to modify them.

I have create PoC that will abuse this vulnerability to create directory pwn with permissive DACL’s inside c:\windows\system32 directory as show below:

An attacker can abuse this vulnerability to execute code in process that is running with SYSTEM privileges by abusing SxS assembly loading.

Varshini

Varshini is a Cyber Security expert in Threat Analysis, Vulnerability Assessment, and Research. Passionate about staying ahead of emerging Threats and Technologies.

Recent Posts

WhatsMyName App – Find Anyone Across 640+ Platforms

Overview WhatsMyName is a free, community-driven OSINT tool designed to identify where a username exists…

2 weeks ago

Analyzing Directory Size Linux Tools Explained

Managing disk usage is a crucial task for Linux users and administrators alike. Understanding which…

2 weeks ago

Understanding Disk Usage with du Command

Efficient disk space management is vital in Linux, especially for system administrators who manage servers…

2 weeks ago

How to Check Directory Size in Linux

Knowing how to check directory sizes in Linux is essential for managing disk space and…

2 weeks ago

Essential Commands for Linux User Listing

Managing user accounts is a core responsibility for any Linux administrator. Whether you’re securing a…

2 weeks ago

Command-Line Techniques for Listing Linux Users

Linux offers powerful command-line tools for system administrators to view and manage user accounts. Knowing…

2 weeks ago