Medium

Arbitrary Memory Write in Alps Pointing-device Driver ApMsgFwd.exe

IdentifiersCVE-2018-10828CWE-707

CVE-2018-10828 is a vulnerability in the Alps Pointing-device Driver version 10.1.101.207, specifically in the ApMsgFwd.exe component. The executable allows the current user to map and write arbitrary data to the "ApMsgFwd File Mapping Object" section. ApMsgFwd.exe subsequently uses the data from this section as arguments to its internal functions. If a user writes invalid pointers or malicious data to this mapped section, it can cause the process to dereference invalid memory, leading to a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability affects systems using this driver, including Dell, ThinkPad, and VAIO devices.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

The primary impact is a local denial of service. By writing invalid pointers to the shared memory section, a local user can cause ApMsgFwd.exe to crash or behave unpredictably. There is no indication of privilege escalation or code execution, but the ability to control arguments to internal functions could potentially be leveraged for further exploitation if additional vulnerabilities exist.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Restrict access to the "ApMsgFwd File Mapping Object" to trusted users only, and ensure that only authorized processes can interact with ApMsgFwd.exe. Employ endpoint protection to monitor and block suspicious activity targeting this driver.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Update to a patched version of the Alps Pointing-device Driver that properly validates data read from the file mapping object before using it as function arguments. If no patch is available, consider disabling or removing the vulnerable driver if it is not essential.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No valid public exploits. Mallory filtered out 1 candidate as fakes, detection scripts, or README-only repos.

VALID 0 / 1 TOTALView more in app

All candidate exploits were filtered out by Mallory's validation.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

AlpsPointing-Device Driverapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

No public activity tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

0 SOURCESView more in app

No public activity observed for this vulnerability.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity