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CVE-2019-1013: Information Disclosure in Microsoft Windows 7

Medium
VulnerabilityCVE-2019-1013cvecve-2019-1013
Published: Wed Jun 12 2019 (06/12/2019, 13:49:39 UTC)
Source: CVE
Vendor/Project: Microsoft
Product: Windows 7

Description

An information disclosure vulnerability exists when the Windows GDI component improperly discloses the contents of its memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could obtain information to further compromise the user’s system. There are multiple ways an attacker could exploit the vulnerability, such as by convincing a user to open a specially crafted document, or by convincing a user to visit an untrusted webpage. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows GDI component handles objects in memory.

AI-Powered Analysis

AILast updated: 07/04/2025, 09:42:09 UTC

Technical Analysis

CVE-2019-1013 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, specifically within the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) component. The vulnerability arises because the GDI improperly discloses the contents of its memory, potentially leaking sensitive information to an attacker. Exploitation can occur through multiple vectors, including convincing a user to open a specially crafted document or visit a malicious website. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond these actions and does not require elevated privileges, but it does require local access (AV:L) and high attack complexity (AC:H). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (C:H) but does not affect integrity or availability. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability by correcting how the GDI component handles objects in memory, preventing unintended memory disclosure. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.7, indicating a medium severity level. There are no known exploits in the wild reported, and the vulnerability was published on June 12, 2019. The vulnerability is limited to Windows 7 (version 6.1.0), which is an older operating system that reached end of extended support in January 2020, meaning many systems may no longer receive security updates unless under special extended support agreements.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2019-1013 is the potential leakage of sensitive information from systems running Windows 7. This could include memory contents that might reveal credentials, cryptographic keys, or other confidential data that could facilitate further compromise or lateral movement within a network. Given that Windows 7 is no longer officially supported, many organizations may still have legacy systems or devices that have not been upgraded, especially in sectors with long hardware refresh cycles or specialized applications. The vulnerability could be exploited by attackers through social engineering tactics such as phishing emails containing malicious documents or by luring users to compromised or malicious websites. While the vulnerability does not allow direct code execution or system takeover, the information disclosure could be a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks. The medium severity rating reflects the limited scope and complexity of exploitation but does not diminish the risk to organizations with unpatched or unsupported Windows 7 systems. Confidentiality breaches could lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR if personal or sensitive data is exposed. Additionally, sectors such as government, healthcare, and critical infrastructure in Europe that may still rely on Windows 7 systems could face increased risk.

Mitigation Recommendations

European organizations should prioritize the following mitigation steps: 1) Upgrade all Windows 7 systems to a supported operating system version such as Windows 10 or Windows 11 to eliminate exposure to this and other legacy vulnerabilities. 2) For systems that cannot be immediately upgraded, apply any available security updates or extended security updates (ESU) provided by Microsoft under special licensing agreements. 3) Implement strict network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of legacy Windows 7 systems to untrusted networks and users. 4) Employ endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting and blocking exploitation attempts involving malicious documents or web content. 5) Conduct user awareness training to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could trigger exploitation, emphasizing caution with unsolicited documents and links. 6) Monitor network and endpoint logs for unusual activity indicative of exploitation attempts or information leakage. 7) Use application whitelisting and disable unnecessary document rendering features or scripting engines that could be leveraged in exploitation. These targeted mitigations go beyond generic patching advice and address the practical challenges of legacy system management in European environments.

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Technical Details

Data Version
5.1
Assigner Short Name
microsoft
Date Reserved
2018-11-26T00:00:00
Cisa Enriched
false
Cvss Version
3.1
State
PUBLISHED

Threat ID: 682cd0f71484d88663aead34

Added to database: 5/20/2025, 6:59:03 PM

Last enriched: 7/4/2025, 9:42:09 AM

Last updated: 7/30/2025, 7:37:01 AM

Views: 11

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