CVE-2024-38107
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Windows Power Dependency Coordinator allows attackers to gain SYSTEM-level privileges by exploiting a use-after-free condition. It affects Windows systems where an authenticated attacker could execute arbitrary code with elevated permissions. This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability requiring initial access to the system.
💻 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
Windows 11 24h2 by Microsoft
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise where an attacker gains SYSTEM privileges, enabling persistence, credential theft, lateral movement, and disabling of security controls.
Likely Case
Privilege escalation from a standard user account to SYSTEM, allowing installation of malware, modification of system files, and bypassing security restrictions.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper endpoint protection, least privilege principles, and network segmentation are implemented, though local privilege escalation remains possible.
🎯 Exploit Status
CISA has added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild. Exploitation requires authenticated access to the target system.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: July 2024 security updates (KB5040442 for Windows 10, KB5040437 for Windows 11, etc.)
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38107
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Apply the July 2024 Windows security updates through Windows Update. 2. For enterprise environments, deploy updates via WSUS, SCCM, or Intune. 3. Restart systems after patch installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict user privileges
windowsImplement least privilege principles to limit the impact of successful exploitation
Enable exploit protection
windowsUse Windows Defender Exploit Guard to mitigate exploitation techniques
Set-ProcessMitigation -System -Enable DEP, ASLR, CFG
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to limit lateral movement
- Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if July 2024 security updates are installed via 'wmic qfe list' or 'Get-HotFix' in PowerShellCheck Version:
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"Verify Fix Applied:
Verify KB5040442 (Windows 10) or KB5040437 (Windows 11) is installed and system has been restarted📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Event ID 4688 with parent process anomalies
- Unexpected SYSTEM privilege acquisition
- Power Dependency Coordinator process manipulation
Network Indicators:
- Lateral movement attempts following local privilege escalation
- Unusual authentication patterns from elevated accounts
SIEM Query:
source="windows_security" event_id=4688 (process_name="*power*" OR parent_process_name="*power*") AND integrity_level="System"