CVE-2024-37979 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2024
Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical flaw in the windows kernel that allows attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user level to system level execution. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of privilege checks within kernel mode components, specifically affecting the windows operating system kernel's security subsystem. Attackers can exploit this weakness to bypass security controls that normally prevent unauthorized access to system resources and administrative functions. The flaw exists in the kernel's privilege validation mechanisms where insufficient checks allow malicious code to manipulate kernel objects and gain elevated permissions without proper authentication or authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a race condition or improper validation within kernel data structures that control access rights and security descriptors. When legitimate system processes attempt to access certain kernel resources, the validation logic fails to properly verify the requesting process's privileges, creating an opportunity for privilege escalation attacks. This type of vulnerability typically manifests through kernel-mode exploitation techniques that leverage existing system calls or create malicious kernel objects that can be manipulated to achieve unauthorized access. The flaw often relates to improper access control list (acl) handling or insufficient validation of security contexts during kernel operations, which can be exploited through carefully crafted malicious code or system calls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching across enterprise environments, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and persistent access. Once attackers achieve kernel-level privileges, they can bypass all standard security controls including antivirus software, firewall protections, and user access controls. The vulnerability enables attackers to install rootkits, modify system files, access encrypted data, and establish backdoors that persist across system reboots. This type of privilege escalation is particularly dangerous because kernel-level access provides attackers with unrestricted access to all system resources, including memory, hardware devices, and network interfaces. The vulnerability can be exploited in various attack scenarios including drive-by downloads, malicious email attachments, or targeted attacks against specific systems.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching and system hardening measures to prevent exploitation attempts. Microsoft releases regular security updates that address this type of vulnerability, and organizations must implement timely patch management processes to protect against known exploits. System administrators should also implement additional security controls such as enabling kernel mode code integrity checking, disabling unnecessary system services, and implementing strict access control policies. The vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as cwe-264 permissions, privileges, and access controls and may map to attack techniques in the attack tree framework including privilege escalation through kernel exploits and code injection attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous kernel-level activities that may indicate exploitation attempts, as well as maintaining up-to-date security information and event management systems to track potential compromise indicators.