CVE-2024-38025
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Performance Data Helper Library allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems by sending specially crafted data. It affects Windows systems with the vulnerable library. Attackers could gain control of the system if successful.
💻 Affected Systems
- Microsoft Windows
📦 What is this software?
Windows 10 1507 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1607 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1809 by Microsoft
Windows 10 21h2 by Microsoft
Windows 10 22h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 21h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 22h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 23h2 by Microsoft
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with administrative privileges, enabling data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to malware installation, credential harvesting, or lateral movement within the network.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to network segmentation, application whitelisting, and proper patch management preventing successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted data to the vulnerable library. No public proof-of-concept has been released as of current knowledge.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: July 2024 security updates
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38025
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Apply the July 2024 Windows security updates through Windows Update. 2. For enterprise environments, deploy updates through WSUS or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. 3. Restart affected systems after patch installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Performance Data Helper Service
windowsDisables the vulnerable service to prevent exploitation
sc stop "Performance Data Helper Service"
sc config "Performance Data Helper Service" start= disabled
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate vulnerable systems
- Deploy application control solutions to prevent unauthorized code execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if July 2024 security updates are installed via Windows Update history or systeminfo commandCheck Version:
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"Verify Fix Applied:
Verify KB5034441 (Windows 10) or KB5034440 (Windows 11) is installed in Windows Update history📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation from Performance Data Helper Library
- Failed attempts to access performance data services
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network traffic to performance data service ports
- Suspicious RPC calls to performance monitoring interfaces
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 AND NewProcessName="*pdh.dll*" OR ParentProcessName="*pdh.dll*"