CVE-2024-38105 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 07/09/2024
Windows Layer-2 Bridge Network Driver Denial of Service Vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2024
This vulnerability resides in the Windows layer-2 bridge network driver component that facilitates virtual networking operations within Windows environments. The flaw manifests as a denial of service condition that can be exploited through crafted network packets or specific network configuration scenarios. When exploited, the vulnerability causes the network driver to become unresponsive or crash entirely, resulting in complete loss of network connectivity for affected systems. The technical implementation involves improper handling of certain bridge network operations where the driver fails to properly validate input parameters or manage memory allocation during network packet processing. This creates a condition where malicious actors can trigger buffer overflows, null pointer dereferences, or other memory corruption scenarios that lead to system instability and service disruption.
The operational impact extends beyond simple connectivity loss as this vulnerability affects critical network infrastructure components including virtual machines, containerized applications, and network bridge configurations. Systems utilizing Windows Server with Hyper-V virtualization capabilities are particularly vulnerable since these environments heavily rely on layer-2 bridging for network communication between virtual instances. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely through network-based attacks or locally through privileged user access that allows manipulation of network bridge configurations. Attackers may leverage this weakness to perform persistent denial of service attacks against critical infrastructure, potentially disrupting business operations and compromising availability of network services. Organizations with extensive virtualized environments face heightened risk since multiple systems could be simultaneously affected when the vulnerability is exploited.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment from Microsoft security updates that address the specific driver flaws in the layer-2 bridge implementation. System administrators must implement network segmentation to limit exposure and monitor for unusual network behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary virtual networking features, implementing strict access controls for network configuration changes, and maintaining comprehensive network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous traffic patterns associated with exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify potential exploitation signatures related to this vulnerability category. The weakness aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-125 categories related to buffer overflow conditions and improper access to memory locations, while the exploitation techniques correlate with ATT&CK tactics including privilege escalation and denial of service operations. Regular security assessments should verify that network bridge configurations follow secure baseline practices and that all Windows systems receive timely security updates to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.