Microsoft Windows Environment Variable Expansion in PATH Security Bypass Weakness

Bugtraq ID:	44484
Class:	Unknown
CVE:	CVE-2007-6753
Remote:	No
Local:	Yes
Published:	Feb 04 2003 12:00AM
Updated:	Jul 05 2016 10:01PM
Credit:	This issue may have been originally reported in 2003 by Kevin Devin; ACROS Security has researched the issue with DLL planting in mind.
Vulnerable:	Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP3 Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP2 Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 0 Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3 Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition SP3 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition SP2 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition Microsoft Windows XP Home SP3 Microsoft Windows XP Home SP2 Microsoft Windows XP Home SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Home Microsoft Windows XP Gold 0 Microsoft Windows XP Embedded SP3 Microsoft Windows XP Embedded SP2 Microsoft Windows XP Embedded SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Embedded Microsoft Windows XP Gold Tablet Pc Microsoft Windows XP Gold Professional Microsoft Windows XP Gold Media Center Microsoft Windows XP Gold Embedded Microsoft Windows XP 0 Microsoft Windows XP 0 Microsoft Windows XP - Gold Home Microsoft Windows Vista x64 Edition SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista x64 Edition SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista x64 Edition 0 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition 0 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition 0 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition Sp2 X64 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition Sp1 X64 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition 0 Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition 0 Microsoft Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition 0 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Microsoft Windows Vista SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Business Microsoft Windows Vista 0 Microsoft Windows 7 XP Mode 0 Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 0 Microsoft Windows 7 Starter 0 Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 0 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 0 Microsoft Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems 0 Microsoft Windows 7
Not Vulnerable:

Microsoft Windows Environment Variable Expansion in PATH Security Bypass Weakness

Microsoft Windows is prone to a security weakness because environment variables in the PATH may not always be properly expanded. This may result in files being included from unexpected locations, possibly bypassing security settings.

Attackers may exploit this weakness to aid in Dynamic Link Library (DLL) or binary-planting attacks. Other attacks may also be possible.

Microsoft Windows Environment Variable Expansion in PATH Security Bypass Weakness

Attackers must combine this issue with another latent vulnerability to impact availability, confidentiality, or integrity. Specific exploits will depend on this secondary issue being exploited.

Microsoft Windows Environment Variable Expansion in PATH Security Bypass Weakness

Solution:
Currently we are not aware of any vendor-supplied patches. If you feel we are in error or if you are aware of more recent information, please mail us at: [email protected].

Microsoft Windows Environment Variable Expansion in PATH Security Bypass Weakness

References:

• 329308 Environment variable may not expand %APPDATA% to the Application folder (Microsoft)
  
• Breaking The SetDllDirectory Protection Against Binary Planting (ACROS Security)
  
• Bug #7825 Windows installer screws up the PATH environment variable. (David Lendrum)
  
• Microsoft Windows Homepage (Microsoft )
  
• Vista - REG_EXPAND_SZ only seems to expand some variables (vorpal)
  
• Win32 Oddities �?? Unable to Expand System Variables (Kevin Devin)
  
• Breaking The SetDllDirectory Protection Against Binary Planting ("ACROS Security Lists" )