The November 2023 Microsoft Patch Tuesday addressed several critical vulnerabilities, it addressed 75 vulnerabilities, with a focus on various critical areas. Three were rated critical, with one being an elevation of privilege in the Windows Common Log File System Driver, allowing attackers to elevate their system privileges. Another critical issue was a remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft SharePoint, where an authenticated attacker could create a site and remotely execute code. Microsoft Exchange Server also had a remote code execution vulnerability, potentially allowing authenticated users with LAN access to perform remote code execution on the server mailbox back-end as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.
Zero-day vulnerabilities
CVE-2023-36025: A Windows SmartScreen security feature bypass vulnerability that could be exploited via a specially crafted Internet Shortcut or hyperlink.
CVE-2023-36033: An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows DWM Core Library
CVE-2023-36028: A critical remote code execution flaw
CVE-2023-36397: Another critical remote code execution vulnerability
CVE-2023-38545: A critical heap-based buffer overflow in the curl library.
Other Vulnerabilities
Here are some important CVEs other than the zero-days, addressed in the November 2023 Patch Tuesday
- Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability:
- CVE-2023-36036: Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver
- CVE-2023-36400: Windows HMAC Key Derivation
- CVE-2023-36399: Windows Storage
- Remote Code Execution Vulnerability:
- CVE-2023-36397: Windows Pragmatic General Multicast (PGM)
- CVE-2023-38177: Microsoft SharePoint Server
- CVE-2023-36439: Microsoft Exchange Server
- Information Disclosure Vulnerability:
- CVE-2023-36052: Azure CLI REST Command
- Denial of Service Vulnerability:
- CVE-2023-36038: ASP.NET Core
- Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability:
- CVE-2023-36025: Windows SmartScreen
In conclusion, Microsoft’s November 2023 Patch Tuesday was a robust response to a diverse set of vulnerabilities threatening the cybersecurity landscape. By addressing five zero-day vulnerabilities, along with a spectrum of other critical security flaws ranging from remote code execution to privilege elevation, Microsoft has taken decisive action to fortify its software against potential cyber-attacks.