CVE-2024-49092
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the Windows Mobile Broadband Driver allows an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated SYSTEM privileges. It affects Windows systems with mobile broadband hardware or drivers installed. Attackers need local access to exploit this privilege escalation flaw.
💻 Affected Systems
- Windows Mobile Broadband Driver
📦 What is this software?
Windows 10 1809 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1809 by Microsoft
Windows 10 21h2 by Microsoft
Windows 10 22h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 22h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 23h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 24h2 by Microsoft
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attacker gains full SYSTEM privileges, enabling complete system compromise, data theft, persistence installation, and lateral movement across the network.
Likely Case
Local authenticated attacker elevates privileges from standard user to SYSTEM, bypassing security controls to install malware or access protected resources.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and least privilege principles, impact is limited to the compromised user account without SYSTEM access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local authenticated access. Exploitation involves memory corruption (CWE-125) in the driver.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apply the latest Windows security updates from Microsoft's July 2024 Patch Tuesday or later
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49092
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Windows Update Settings. 2. Click 'Check for updates'. 3. Install all available security updates. 4. Restart the system when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Mobile Broadband Hardware
windowsRemove or disable mobile broadband hardware/drivers if not needed
Device Manager > Network adapters > Right-click mobile broadband adapter > Disable device
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and least privilege principles to limit local user access
- Monitor for privilege escalation attempts and suspicious driver activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if mobile broadband drivers are installed via Device Manager and verify Windows version is affectedCheck Version:
winverVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Windows Update history shows the July 2024 security updates installed and system has been restarted📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Event ID 4697: Service installation, Event ID 4688: Process creation with SYSTEM privileges from non-privileged users
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from systems with mobile broadband hardware
SIEM Query:
EventID=4697 OR (EventID=4688 AND NewProcessName LIKE '%\system32\' AND SubjectUserName NOT IN ('SYSTEM', 'LOCAL SERVICE', 'NETWORK SERVICE'))