cbcvebase.
CVE-2022-37969
published 2022-09-13

CVE-2022-37969: Windows Common Log File System Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

PriorityP187high7.8CVSS 3.1
AVLACLPRLUINSUCHIHAH
KEVITWEXPLOITRansomware
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilitydue 2022-10-05
Exploited in the wild
EPSS
28.48%
97.9th percentile
Windows Common Log File System Driver Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Affected

46 ranges· showing 25
VendorProductVersion rangeFixed in
microsoftwindows_10_1507< 10.0.10240.1944410.0.10240.19444
microsoftwindows_10_1607< 10.0.14393.535610.0.14393.5356
microsoftwindows_10_1809< 10.0.17763.340610.0.17763.3406
microsoftwindows_10_20h2< 10.0.19042.200610.0.19042.2006
microsoftwindows_10_21h1< 10.0.19043.200610.0.19043.2006
microsoftwindows_10_21h2< 10.0.19044.200610.0.19044.2006
microsoftwindows_10_version_1507>= 10.0.10240.0 < 10.0.10240.1944410.0.10240.19444
microsoftwindows_10_version_1607>= 10.0.14393.0 < 10.0.14393.535610.0.14393.5356
microsoftwindows_10_version_1809>= 10.0.0 < 10.0.17763.340610.0.17763.3406
microsoftwindows_10_version_1809>= 10.0.17763.0 < 10.0.17763.340610.0.17763.3406
microsoftwindows_10_version_20h2>= 10.0.0 < 10.0.19042.200610.0.19042.2006
microsoftwindows_10_version_21h1>= 10.0.0 < 10.0.19043.200610.0.19043.2006
microsoftwindows_10_version_21h2>= 10.0.19043.0 < 10.0.19044.200610.0.19044.2006
microsoftwindows_11_21h2< 10.0.22000.97810.0.22000.978
microsoftwindows_11_version_21h2>= 10.0.0 < 10.0.22000.97810.0.22000.978
microsoftwindows_7>= 6.1.0 < 6.1.7601.261156.1.7601.26115
microsoftwindows_7_service_pack_1>= 6.1.0 < 6.1.7601.261156.1.7601.26115
microsoftwindows_8.1>= 6.3.0 < 6.3.9600.205716.3.9600.20571
microsoftwindows_server_2008
microsoftwindows_server_2008_r2_service_pack_1>= 6.1.7601.0 < 6.1.7601.261156.1.7601.26115
microsoftwindows_server_2008_service_pack_2>= 6.0.6003.0 < 6.0.6003.216666.0.6003.21666
microsoftwindows_server_2012
microsoftwindows_server_2012>= 6.2.9200.0 < 6.2.9200.238656.2.9200.23865
microsoftwindows_server_2012_r2>= 6.3.9600.0 < 6.3.9600.205716.3.9600.20571
microsoftwindows_server_2016< 10.0.14393.535610.0.14393.5356

Detection & IOCsextracted from sources · hover to see the quote

registryHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
commandNtFsControlFile FsControlCode=0x11003C
commandNtFsControlFile FsControlCode=0x110038
otherCLFS_LOG_BLOCK_HEADER->SignaturesOffset patched to 0x10 (from 0x7980)
other_EPROCESS.Token field offset 0x4B8 (Windows 11 21H2)
other_ETHREAD.PreviousMode field offset 0x232
otherNtQuerySystemInformation SystemExtendedHandleInformation (0x40)
filename.blf
  • Detect exploit targeting CVE-2022-37969 via manipulation of BLF (base log file) structures: monitor for processes calling AddLogContainer API after patching cbSymbolZone or SignaturesOffset fields in a BLF file, which causes CLFS_CLIENT_CONTEXT and CLFS_CONTAINER_CONTEXT to overlap.
  • Detect token replacement privilege escalation: monitor for a user-mode process whose _EPROCESS.Token (offset 0x4B8 on Win11 21H2) is overwritten with the SYSTEM process (PID 4) token — indicative of CVE-2022-37969 post-exploitation.
  • Monitor for NtFsControlFile calls with FsControlCode 0x11003C (create pipe attribute) and 0x110038 (read pipe attribute) from non-system processes, which are used by the CVE-2022-37969 exploit for kernel object manipulation via PipeAttribute structures.
  • BianLian ransomware exploits CVE-2022-37969 for privilege escalation on Windows 10 and 11; also uses Ngrok and modified Rsocks for SOCKS5 tunneling, UPX-packed binaries, and renames binaries/tasks after legitimate Windows services for evasion.
  • The CVE-2022-37969 exploit checks the OS build number from _PEB->OSBuildNumber (offset 0x120) and queries UBR from registry to confirm target version before proceeding — detecting this registry query in combination with CLFS API usage may indicate exploit activity.
  • ·The exploit for CVE-2022-37969 requires the attacker to already be authenticated with user-level access and able to execute code on the target — it is a local privilege escalation, not a remote code execution.
  • ·The September 2022 exploit variant (Exploit #2) differs from the Zscaler-described CVE-2022-37969 exploit; it is more similar to the CVE-2022-24521 exploit and was likely created by the same author, but patches different BLF fields.
  • ·The October 2022 exploit (Exploit #3) works against the September 2022 patch but not the October 2022 patch; it was observed in attacks only after the October patch was released, suggesting possible prior zero-day use with greater operational caution.
  • ·NtQuerySystemInformation with SystemExtendedHandleInformation (0x40) requires Medium Integrity Level (Medium IL) to work; the exploit's kernel address leak technique will not function from low-integrity processes.

CVSS provenance

nvdv3.17.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vulncheck7.8HIGH
cisa7.8HIGH
vendor_msrc7.8HIGH
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