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CVE Record

CVE-2019-1040: Windows NTLM Tampering Vulnerability

A tampering vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows when a man-in-the-middle attacker is able to successfully bypass the NTLM MIC (Message Integrity Check) protection. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the ability to downgrade NTLM security features. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to tamper with the NTLM exchange. The attacker could then modify flags of the NTLM packet without invalidating the signature. The update addresses the vulnerability by hardening NTLM MIC protection on the server-side.

MediumCVSS 5.3Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2019-1040 lets a network man-in-the-middle weaken protections in Windows NTLM authentication. Successful exploitation could allow tampering with NTLM security flags, affecting integrity rather than confidentiality or availability. Microsoft rates it medium, but it matters in environments that still depend on NTLM.

Executive priority

Treat as a moderate-priority Windows hardening issue. It is not cited as actively exploited in the provided sources, but it can weaken authentication integrity where NTLM remains in use.

Technical view

The flaw is a Windows NTLM tampering issue where an attacker positioned in the NTLM exchange can bypass MIC protection and alter NTLM packet flags without invalidating the signature. Microsoft’s fix hardens server-side NTLM MIC protection. The CVSS vector indicates network attack, high complexity, no privileges, and user interaction required.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely in organizations running listed Windows versions that still use NTLM authentication, including Windows 7, 8.1, multiple Windows 10 releases, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. Exploitation requires tampering with an NTLM exchange as a man-in-the-middle and is rated high complexity with user interaction required.

Researcher notes

Focus analysis on NTLM MIC enforcement and downgrade resistance after Microsoft’s server-side hardening. Evidence is limited to vendor and CVE records; no public exploit status or detailed detection guidance is provided in the bundle.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply Microsoft’s security update for CVE-2019-1040 to affected Windows systems.
  • Review MSRC guidance for product-specific update availability and supersedence.
  • Prioritize systems participating in NTLM authentication flows.
  • Validate NTLM-dependent applications after patching.
  • Track remaining unsupported or unpatched affected Windows versions.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Windows versions and builds against the affected product list.
  • Confirm CVE-2019-1040 remediation is present in patch management records.
  • Identify services and endpoints still using NTLM authentication.
  • Check whether NTLM authentication crosses untrusted network paths.
  • Review authentication issues after patch deployment.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
4

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

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CVE-2019-1040 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
5.3 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
5.3CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C1.63.6Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

5.3Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2019-1040Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 170310.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 180310.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server, version 1803 (Server Core Installation)10.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 180910.0.17763.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 180910.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 201910.0.17763.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)10.0.17763.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1709 for 32-bit Systems10.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 170910.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1903 for 32-bit Systems10.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems10.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 1903 for ARM64-based Systems10.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server, version 1903 (Server Core installation)10.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 150710.0.10240.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 10 Version 160710.0.14393.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 201610.0.14393.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)10.0.14393.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 76.1.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 7 Service Pack 16.1.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows 8.16.3.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2008 Service Pack 26.0.6003.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)6.0.6003.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2008 Service Pack 26.0.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2008 Service Pack 26.0.6003.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2008 R2 Systems Service Pack 16.1.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 16.1.7601.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)6.1.7601.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 20126.2.9200.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)6.2.9200.0Listed
MicrosoftWindows Server 2012 R26.3.9600.0Listed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.