CVE-2018-0824: Microsoft COM Deserialization Vulnerability Enables Privilege Escalation and Remote Code Execution
What It Is — Microsoft COM for Windows contains a deserialization of untrusted data flaw that can be triggered by a specially‑crafted file or script. Successful exploitation grants the attacker elevated privileges and the ability to execute arbitrary code on the host.
Exploitability — Publicly disclosed; proof‑of‑concept code exists. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8 (High).
Affected Products — All supported Microsoft Windows operating systems that include the COM subsystem (Windows 7, 8, 10, Server 2012‑R2, Server 2016, Server 2019, etc.).
Why It Matters for Trust & Control Assurance
- Demonstrates the need for continuous patch‑management monitoring as evidence of due‑diligence in control assurance.
- Highlights gaps in configuration control; unpatched COM components can be a vector for privilege‑escalation attacks.
- Provides a concrete audit‑ready artifact (patch‑install logs) that maps to multiple frameworks via a single control objective: maintain a secure configuration baseline.
Recommended Actions
- Deploy Microsoft’s security update for CVE‑2018‑0824 immediately across all Windows endpoints.
- Verify patch status through an automated inventory and generate immutable evidence for audit trails.
- Incorporate the patch‑compliance check into continuous control monitoring dashboards.
- Review and harden COM‑related policies (e.g., restrict execution of untrusted scripts).
Source: CISA KEV – CVE‑2018‑0824