CVE-2019-0708: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Recommended actionPatch now

CISA confirms exploitation in the wild and lists 2022-05-03 as the remediation due date.

Patch available

What, why and how

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, formerly known as Terminal Service, contains an unspecified vulnerability that allows an unauthenticated attacker to connect to the target system using RDP and send specially crafted requests. Successful exploitation allows for remote code execution. The vulnerability is also known under the moniker of BlueKeep.

What

Why

The program can continue using memory after it has been released, producing unsafe and attacker-influenceable behaviour.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.

What

Why

The program can continue using memory after it has been released, producing unsafe and attacker-influenceable behaviour.

How

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation

Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.

Confirmed in the wild

CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2021-11-03. Known ransomware campaign use is recorded.

Public PoC / exploit material

Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.

Reference recorded

A structured CVE source labels at least one public reference as exploit material. BlackTree has not independently validated that it is safe, reliable or weaponised.

Likely attack path: a network path → Use After Free → execute code or commands in the affected security context
Attack surface: Network
Privileges required: None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction: None
Attack complexity: Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary: Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness ? CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.: CWE-416 ↗
CWE-416: Use After Free. The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
CVSS vector ? CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.AHighAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land: After compromise, an attacker may use built-in shells, scripting engines, scheduled tasks and native network utilities for discovery, persistence or movement. This is a plausible LoTL path, not evidence that it has occurred for every attack.

NetworkUnauthenticatedRemote code executionCWE-416CISA KEVPublic exploit reference

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2019-1468Known-exploited evidence recorded

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Remote Desktop Services formerly known as Terminal Services when an unauthenticated attacker connects to the target system using RDP and sends specially crafted requests, aka 'Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability'.

Official EUVD record ↗

Canadian Centre for Cyber Security · English · AL19-009Critical Microsoft Remote Desktop Vulnerability

Microsoft has released patches for a critical vulnerability in Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS). The vulnerability allows a remote, unauthenticated actor to run arbitrary code on some Microsoft operating systems running RDS. This vulnerability is ‘wormable’, meaning that exploits of this vulnerability could automatically propagate from one vulnerable system to another. The vulnerable operating systems are: Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1 Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 2 Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation) Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems Service Pack 1 Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation) Windows XP SP3 x86 Windows XP Professional x64 Edition SP2 Windows XP Embedded SP3 x86 Windows Server 2003 SP2 x86 Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition SP2

Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Evidence used

Compensating controls

Verification

EUVD-2019-1468

What, why and how

Exploit reality and attack path

Official authority intelligence

Patch and workaround

Evidence and provenance