CVE-2023-23376
Memory Safety in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 r2
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2023-23376 is a high-severity Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 5% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The vulnerability CVE-2023-23376 is an elevation of privilege flaw in the Windows Common Log File System Driver, tracked under CWEs 122 and 787. It affects the CLFS kernel component and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8, reflecting local attack vector, low complexity, and low required privileges with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
A local attacker with existing low-privileged access on a Windows system can exploit the issue to escalate rights, obtaining full control over affected components without user interaction. This allows the attacker to read, modify, or delete arbitrary data and potentially compromise the entire host.
Microsoft advisory information at the referenced MSRC pages describes available security updates that address the flaw. The CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry confirms the vulnerability has been observed in active exploitation, underscoring the need to apply patches promptly.
EPSS scores reached a peak of 0.2255 before settling at the current value of 0.1515, indicating measurable post-disclosure exploitation interest that warrants continued monitoring.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-27476
Vulnerability Data
Windows Common Log File System Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 14 February 2023
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V1.4.1
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Out-of-bounds writes that corrupt control flow or inject shellcode are rendered non-executable by the same memory protections.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure-development practices directly require bounds checking and safe memory handling that prevent heap overflows.
Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover heap-overflow flaws but does not prevent their introduction in code.
Timely patching removes known heap-overflow instances after they exist.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development and acceptance can detect heap overflows before release.
Secure development lifecycle mandates practices that reduce the likelihood of introducing heap overflows.
Application security requirements can specify bounds-checking and safe memory APIs that mitigate heap overflows.
Secure architecture and engineering principles include memory-safety and input-validation controls that address heap overflows.
Secure coding standards directly prescribe techniques (safe functions, bounds checks) that prevent heap-based buffer overflows.
Change management can enforce review gates that catch unsafe memory operations before deployment.