CVE-2024-38100 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 07/09/2024
Windows File Explorer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2026
This vulnerability resides within the Windows File Explorer component which operates with elevated privileges during certain file operations, creating an opportunity for privilege escalation attacks. The flaw manifests when File Explorer processes specific file types or directory structures that trigger improper access control checks, allowing malicious actors to execute code with higher privileges than initially granted. This issue represents a classic elevation of privilege vulnerability where standard user permissions can be exploited to gain administrative rights through manipulation of the file system interface.
The technical implementation involves improper validation of file paths and metadata during file operations within the explorer.exe process, which typically runs with SYSTEM level privileges when handling certain file types or network shares. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious files or directories that trigger the vulnerable code path, bypassing standard security controls such as user access control checks and integrity levels. The vulnerability often involves insufficient input sanitization when processing file attributes, symbolic links, or compressed file contents that are automatically extracted during exploration.
Operationally, this vulnerability enables adversaries to escalate their privileges from standard user to system administrator level without requiring additional authentication or exploitation of other vulnerabilities. Security researchers have identified that the vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through simple file interactions such as opening folders containing malicious files, double-clicking specific file types, or navigating to network shares with crafted content. The impact extends beyond immediate privilege escalation as attackers can subsequently access protected system resources, modify critical system files, or establish persistence mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing the latest security patches from Microsoft that address the specific validation issues within File Explorer's file processing routines. Organizations must also enforce application control policies through tools like AppLocker or Device Guard to restrict execution of unauthorized code during file operations. Network segmentation and privilege separation techniques can limit the impact of successful exploitation, while monitoring solutions should be configured to detect unusual file access patterns or privilege escalation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-264 and follows ATT&CK technique T1068 which focuses on local privilege escalation through improper access control mechanisms in Windows operating systems.