Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a Microsoft AD CS remote code execution flaw in Windows Server. The published score is medium because exploitation requires high privileges and high complexity, but successful exploitation could compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability on affected certificate services infrastructure.
Executive priority
Handle in the normal priority queue for certificate infrastructure patching. Raise urgency if AD CS is exposed broadly, administrators are heavily delegated, or certificate services support critical authentication flows.
Technical view
CVE-2023-35351 is a CWE-416 use-after-free vulnerability in Windows Active Directory Certificate Services. The CVSS vector is network-accessible, high complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Windows Server systems running AD CS, including listed Windows Server 2008 SP2 through 2022 and Server Core variants. Confirm role deployment, not only OS presence.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show active exploitation. The bundle marks KEV as false and CVSS exploit maturity as unproven. Treat exploitation evidence as incomplete unless Microsoft or CISA updates guidance.
Researcher notes
The main limiting factors are high privileges and high attack complexity. Impact is still material because AD CS is security-sensitive infrastructure. Sources provide limited technical detail, so validation should focus on product applicability and patch state.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Microsoft’s official security update for CVE-2023-35351.
- Prioritize servers hosting AD CS or enterprise certificate authority roles.
- Check MSRC for product-specific fixed builds and servicing requirements.
- Avoid relying on undocumented compensating controls as a substitute for patching.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Windows Server hosts running AD CS.
- Compare OS versions against the affected product list.
- Verify Microsoft security updates for CVE-2023-35351 are installed.
- Review MSRC for any revised applicability or remediation notes.
- Check CISA KEV separately before making active-exploitation claims.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
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
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-35351 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
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.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe 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.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C0.75.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.6MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- Windows Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityCVE reference · vendor-advisory
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.