CVE-2022-24460
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2022-24460 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Tablet Windows User Interface Application that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. This affects Windows systems where the Tablet Windows User Interface Application is present. Attackers need local access to exploit this vulnerability.
💻 Affected Systems
- Windows Tablet User Interface Application
📦 What is this software?
Windows 10 by Microsoft
Windows 10 by Microsoft
Windows 10 by Microsoft
Windows 10 by Microsoft
Windows 10 by Microsoft
Windows 10 by Microsoft
Windows 10 by Microsoft
Windows 11 by Microsoft
Windows 11 by Microsoft
Windows Server by Microsoft
Windows Server by Microsoft
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An authenticated attacker gains SYSTEM-level privileges, enabling complete system compromise, data theft, persistence mechanisms, and lateral movement across the network.
Likely Case
Malicious insiders or attackers with initial access escalate privileges to install malware, steal credentials, or maintain persistence on compromised systems.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and least privilege principles, impact is limited to the compromised user account without SYSTEM escalation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires authenticated user access and specific conditions to trigger the privilege escalation.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: March 2022 security updates (KB5011493 for Windows 10, KB5011495 for Windows 11)
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2022-24460
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Windows Update Settings. 2. Click 'Check for updates'. 3. Install March 2022 security updates. 4. Restart the system when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Tablet Windows User Interface Application
windowsRemove or disable the vulnerable component if not required
Remove-AppxPackage -Package Microsoft.Windows.TabletPC -AllUsers
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and least privilege principles to limit authenticated user capabilities
- Monitor for privilege escalation attempts and suspicious SYSTEM-level process creation
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Windows version and if March 2022 security updates are installed via 'winver' command and Windows Update historyCheck Version:
winverVerify Fix Applied:
Verify KB5011493 (Windows 10) or KB5011495 (Windows 11) is installed in Windows Update history📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Event ID 4688: New process creation with SYSTEM privileges from non-SYSTEM users
- Event ID 4672: Special privileges assigned to new logon
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from SYSTEM processes
- Lateral movement attempts from previously compromised systems
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND NewProcessName="*" AND SubjectUserName!="SYSTEM" AND TokenElevationType="%%1938"