CVE-2023-24884
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on systems using vulnerable Microsoft PostScript and PCL6 printer drivers. Attackers can exploit this by sending specially crafted print jobs to affected systems. Organizations using Windows print servers or workstations with these drivers are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Microsoft PostScript Printer Driver
- Microsoft PCL6 Printer Driver
📦 What is this software?
Windows 10 1507 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1607 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1809 by Microsoft
Windows 10 20h2 by Microsoft
Windows 10 21h2 by Microsoft
Windows 10 22h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 21h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 22h2 by Microsoft
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with administrative privileges, enabling data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Privilege escalation leading to lateral movement within the network, data exfiltration, or deployment of additional malware.
If Mitigated
Limited impact through network segmentation and restricted print server access, potentially resulting in isolated compromise of print server only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending malicious print jobs to vulnerable systems, which could be achieved through network access to print services.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: March 2023 security updates
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2023-24884
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Apply March 2023 Windows security updates via Windows Update. 2. For enterprise environments, deploy updates through WSUS or SCCM. 3. Restart affected systems after patch installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable printer drivers
windowsRemove or disable Microsoft PostScript and PCL6 printer drivers from systems
Remove-PrinterDriver -Name "Microsoft PostScript Printer Driver"
Remove-PrinterDriver -Name "Microsoft PCL6 Printer Driver"
Restrict print spooler access
windowsConfigure firewall rules to limit access to print spooler service (port 445, 139, 135)
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block Print Spooler" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 445,139,135 -Action Block
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Segment print servers from critical network segments using firewall rules
- Implement network monitoring for suspicious print job traffic patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check installed printer drivers via PowerShell: Get-PrinterDriver | Select Name, Manufacturer, DriverVersionCheck Version:
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"Verify Fix Applied:
Verify March 2023 updates are installed: Get-HotFix | Where-Object {$_.InstalledOn -like "*03/2023*"}📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Event Log ID 307 (print spooler errors)
- Unexpected print job submissions from unusual sources
- Spooler service crashes
Network Indicators:
- Unusual SMB traffic to print servers
- Malformed print job packets
- Port 445/139 connections from unexpected sources
SIEM Query:
source="windows" event_id=307 OR (source="firewall" dest_port IN (445,139,135) AND protocol="SMB")