Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-29325

Memory Safety in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 r2

High EPSSMemory Safety
Published
09 May 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.1
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.84 99.7th percentile
Risk Priority 85 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-29325 is a high-severity Use After Free (CWE-416) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 8.1 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203); ranked in the top 0.3% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV 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-2023-29325 is a remote code execution flaw in Windows OLE, classified under CWE-416 as a use-after-free condition. It affects the Object Linking and Embedding component within Windows and is assigned a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 reflecting network attack vector, high complexity, and no requirements for privileges or user interaction.

An unauthenticated attacker can exploit the issue remotely over a network connection to achieve arbitrary code execution with full impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The high complexity rating indicates that successful exploitation requires specific conditions beyond basic reachability.

Microsoft has published official guidance and remediation information for the vulnerability through its Security Response Center at the referenced advisory URL.

The associated EPSS score is 0.2539 with an identical recorded peak, indicating no material upward trajectory after disclosure.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Windows OLE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CWE(s)
CWE-416NVD-CWE-noinfo

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
attack.mitre.org →
T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
attack.mitre.org →
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access Credential Access
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to collect credentials.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-21688Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-36804Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-36726Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-36882Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-38161Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-36743Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-32038Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-38184Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-38160Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-24925Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507

Affected Assets

microsoft
windows 10 1507
≤ 10.0.10240.19926
microsoft
windows 10 1607
≤ 10.0.14393.5921
microsoft
windows 10 1809
≤ 10.0.17763.4377
microsoft
windows 10 20h2
≤ 10.0.19042.2965
microsoft
windows 10 21h2
≤ 10.0.19044.2965
microsoft
windows 10 22h2
≤ 10.0.19045.2965
microsoft
windows 11 21h2
≤ 10.0.22000.1936
microsoft
windows 11 22h2
≤ 10.0.22000.1702
microsoft
windows server 2008
all versions, r2
microsoft
windows server 2012
all versions, r2
+2 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.4.3

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.

SI-16 Memory Protection
addresses: CWE-416

Use-after-free exploits that achieve arbitrary code execution are blocked or significantly hardened by non-executable pages and ASLR.

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.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly incorporate memory-safety tooling and reviews that prevent most use-after-free defects.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability identification processes can discover use-after-free issues via scanning or analysis but do not prevent their introduction.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Routine patching removes known use-after-free instances after they have been introduced in released software.

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.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing in development can detect use-after-free bugs before release.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
prevents

Secure SDLC mandates memory-safety practices that reduce use-after-free defects.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
prevents

Application security requirements can specify memory-management rules that mitigate use-after-free.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
prevents

Secure architecture principles include memory-safety design choices that limit use-after-free exposure.

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
prevents

Secure coding standards directly prescribe avoidance of use-after-free patterns.

A.8.32 Change management partial match
prevents

Change-management processes help ensure memory-safety fixes are deployed consistently.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248592 OL 8 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. prevents CWE-416
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
  • V-230279 RHEL 8 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. prevents CWE-416
RHEL 9 (1 rule)
  • V-257794 RHEL 9 must clear memory when it is freed to prevent use-after-free attacks. prevents CWE-416

References