Improper link resolution before file access (link following) in Visual Studio allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
Weakness
The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual_studio | Microsoft | 2015-update3 (including) | 2015-update3 (including) |
| Visual_studio_2017 | Microsoft | 15.0 (including) | 15.9.75 (excluding) |
| Visual_studio_2019 | Microsoft | 16.0 (including) | 16.11.49 (excluding) |
| Visual_studio_2022 | Microsoft | 17.8.0 (including) | 17.8.23 (excluding) |
| Visual_studio_2022 | Microsoft | 17.10.0 (including) | 17.10.17 (excluding) |
| Visual_studio_2022 | Microsoft | 17.12.0 (including) | 17.12.10 (excluding) |
| Visual_studio_2022 | Microsoft | 17.14.0 (including) | 17.14.8 (excluding) |
Potential Mitigations
- Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
- Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/132.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/17.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/35.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/76.html