CVE-2024-21338: Microsoft Windows Kernel Exposed IOCTL with Insufficient Access Control Vulnerability

CVE-2024-21338 · Severity: critical · CVSS 7.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2024-03-04

The Microsoft Windows Kernel contains an exposed IOCTL dispatcher in the appid.sys driver with insufficient access control. A local attacker can exploit this vulnerability to achieve elevation of privilege, potentially gaining kernel-level execution.

Technologies: Microsoft Windows. Vendors: Microsoft.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2024-21338 exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2024-21338 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 4 March 2024. Treat it as urgent.
How severe is CVE-2024-21338?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 4 March 2024.
Which products and versions are affected?
Microsoft Windows 10 1809 up to (excluding) 10.0.17763.5458; Microsoft Windows 10 21H2 up to (excluding) 10.0.19044.4046; Microsoft Windows 10 22H2 up to (excluding) 10.0.19045.4046; Microsoft Windows Kernel.
Is there a fix for CVE-2024-21338?
No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2024-21338 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.
Am I affected by CVE-2024-21338?
Check whether you run Microsoft Windows. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Affected products

  • Microsoft Windows 10 1809 up to (excluding) 10.0.17763.5458
  • Microsoft Windows 10 21H2 up to (excluding) 10.0.19044.4046
  • Microsoft Windows 10 22H2 up to (excluding) 10.0.19045.4046
  • Microsoft Windows Kernel

Timeline

  • 2024-02-20: disclosed: Initial analysis by NIST
  • 2024-03-04: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
  • 2024-03-04: exploited: Reported as exploited in the wild by Lazarus Group

This page as Markdown. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.