CVE-2024-38202

Windows Update Stack Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Description

Summary Microsoft was notified that an elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Update, potentially enabling an attacker with basic user privileges to reintroduce previously mitigated vulnerabilities or circumvent some features of Virtualization Based Security (VBS). However, an attacker attempting to exploit this vulnerability requires additional interaction by a privileged user to be successful. Microsoft has developed a security update to mitigate this threat which was made available October 08, 2024 and is provided in the Security Updates table of this CVE for customers to download. Note: Depending on your version of Windows, additional steps may be required to update Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to be protected from this vulnerability. Please refer to the FAQ section for more information. Guidance for customers who cannot immediately implement the update is provided in the Recommended Actions section of this CVE to help reduce the risks associated with this vulnerability and to protect their systems. If there are any further updates regarding mitigations for this vulnerability, this CVE will be updated and customers will be notified. We highly encourage customers to subscribe to Security Update Guide notifications to receive an alert if an update occurs. Details A security researcher informed Microsoft of an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Update potentially enabling an attacker with basic user privileges to reintroduce previously mitigated vulnerabilities or circumvent some features of VBS. For exploitation to succeed, an attacker must trick or convince an Administrator or a user with delegated permissions into performing a system restore which inadvertently triggers the vulnerability. Microsoft has developed a security update to mitigate this threat which was made available October 08, 2024 and is provided in the Security Updates table of this CVE for customers to download. Note: Depending on your version of Windows, additional steps may be required to update Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to be protected from this vulnerability. Please refer to the FAQ section for more information. Guidance for customers who cannot immediately implement the update is provided in the Recommended Actions section of this CVE to help reduce the risks associated with this vulnerability and to protect their systems. If there are any further... See more at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38202

Category

7.3
CVSS
Severity: High
CVSS 3.1 •
EPSS 1.85% Top 20%
Vendor Advisory microsoft.com
Affected: Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809
Affected: Microsoft Windows Server 2019
Affected: Microsoft Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
Affected: Microsoft Windows Server 2022
Affected: Microsoft Windows 11 version 21H2
Affected: Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2
Affected: Microsoft Windows 11 version 22H2
Affected: Microsoft Windows 10 Version 22H2
Affected: Microsoft Windows 11 version 22H3
Affected: Microsoft Windows 11 Version 23H2
Affected: Microsoft Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation)
Affected: Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607
Affected: Microsoft Windows Server 2016
Affected: Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2024-38202?
CVE-2024-38202 has been scored as a high severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2024-38202?
To fix CVE-2024-38202, make sure you are using an up-to-date version of the affected component(s) by checking the vendor release notes. As for now, there are no other specific guidelines available.
Is CVE-2024-38202 being actively exploited in the wild?
It is possible that CVE-2024-38202 is being exploited or will be exploited in a near future based on public information. According to its EPSS score, there is a ~2% probability that this vulnerability will be exploited by malicious actors in the next 30 days.
What software or system is affected by CVE-2024-38202?
CVE-2024-38202 affects Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809, Microsoft Windows Server 2019, Microsoft Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation), Microsoft Windows Server 2022, Microsoft Windows 11 version 21H2, Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2, Microsoft Windows 11 version 22H2, Microsoft Windows 10 Version 22H2, Microsoft Windows 11 version 22H3, Microsoft Windows 11 Version 23H2, Microsoft Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation), Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607, Microsoft Windows Server 2016, Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation).
This platform uses data from the NIST NVD, MITRE CVE, MITRE CWE, First.org and CISA KEV but is not endorsed or certified by these entities. CVE is a registred trademark of the MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CVE content is MITRE's CVE web site. CWE is a registred trademark of the MITRE Corporation and the authoritative source of CWE content is MITRE's CWE web site.
© 2025 Under My Watch. All Rights Reserved.