Microsoft Out-of-Band security patch fixes Windows privilege escalation flaws

Microsoft released an Out-of-Band security update to address privilege escalation flaws in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 systems.

Microsoft released this week an out-of-band security update for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 systems that address two privilege escalation vulnerabilities in Windows Remote Access.

Both vulnerabilities were addressed by Microsoft in August, the August 2020 Patch Tuesday security updates fixed the flaws in Windows 10, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, and Windows Server versions 1903, 1909, and 2004.

On August 19, Microsoft announced the availability of an out-of-band update that addresses the vulnerability in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. The IT giant urges users to apply the security updates as soon as possible.

The first elevation of privilege vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2020-1530, ties the way Windows Remote Access improperly handles memory.

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability once gained execution on the victim system, then it could run a specially crafted application to elevate privileges.

The second vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2020-1537, is an elevation of privilege vulnerability that exists when the Windows Remote Access improperly handles file operations. An attacker with code execution permissions on a victim system could then run a specially crafted application.

The security update addresses the privilege escalation vulnerabilities by ensuring the Windows Remote Access properly handles memory and file operations.

“Microsoft is announcing the availability of security update 4578013 for all supported versions of Microsoft 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2,” reads Microsoft’s advisory. “Customers running Windows 8.1 or Server 2012 R2 should install the update for their product to be protected from this vulnerability. Customers running other versions of Microsoft Windows or Windows Server do not need to take any action.”

Microsoft users could also download the security patches from the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, privilege escalation)

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Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.