Cybersecurity professionals consider CVE-2021-43844 an immediate threat requiring urgent mitigation.
Status: Modified
Last updated: 🕕 21 Nov 2024, 06:29 UTC
Originally published on: 🕙 20 Dec 2021, 22:15 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 1066 days
CVSS Release: version 3
security-advisories@github.com
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVE-2021-43844: MSEdgeRedirect is a tool to redirect news, search, widgets, weather, and more to a user's default browser. MSEdgeRedirect versions before 0.5.0.1 are vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via specifically crafted URLs. This vulnerability requires user interaction and the acceptance of a prompt. With how MSEdgeRedirect is coded, parameters are impossible to pass to any launched file. However, there are two possible scenarios in which an attacker can do more than a minor annoyance. In Scenario 1 (confirmed), a user visits an attacker controlled webpage; the user is prompted with, and downloads, an executable payload; the user is prompted with, and accepts, the aforementioned crafted URL prompt; and RCE executes the payload the user previously downloaded, if the download path is successfully guessed. In Scenario 2 (not yet confirmed), a user visits an attacked controlled webpage; the user is prompted with, and accepts, the aforementioned crafted URL prompt; and a payload on a remote, attacker controlled, SMB server is executed. The issue was found in the _DecodeAndRun() function, in which I incorrectly assumed _WinAPI_UrlIs() would only accept web resources. Unfortunately, file:/// passes the default _WinAPI_UrlIs check(). File paths are now directly checked for and must fail. There is no currently known exploitation of this vulnerability in the wild. A patched version, 0.5.0.1, has been released that checks for and denies these crafted URLs. There are no workarounds for this issue. Users are advised not to accept any unexpected prompts from web pages.
The exploitability of CVE-2021-43844 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2021-43844 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2021-43844, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2021-43844, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 0.739% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 81.07%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 18.930000000000007% of others.
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