CVE-2024-49109 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 12/12/2024
Wireless Wide Area Network Service (WwanSvc) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2026
The Wireless Wide Area Network Service (WwanSvc) represents a critical component within Microsoft Windows operating systems responsible for managing mobile broadband connections and wireless communication services. This service operates with elevated privileges to facilitate seamless connectivity management across various cellular networks and wireless providers. The vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms within the WwanSvc implementation, specifically allowing local authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user level to SYSTEM level execution context. This flaw exists due to insufficient validation of service requests and inadequate privilege separation between user-mode components and kernel-mode drivers that handle wireless network operations.
The technical exploitation of this elevation of privilege vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the WwanSvc interface which accepts unvalidated input from local processes. Attackers can craft malicious service calls or manipulate existing communication channels to trigger privilege escalation conditions within the service's processing pipeline. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-276, Access Control Flaws, and specifically manifests as improper privilege management where the service fails to properly validate that incoming requests originate from trusted sources or possess appropriate authorization levels. The underlying mechanism involves Windows service communication protocols and inter-process communication channels that do not adequately enforce security boundaries between different privilege levels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to gain complete system control without requiring physical access or additional attack vectors. Once escalated to SYSTEM privileges, malicious actors can modify critical system files, install persistent backdoors, access encrypted data, and manipulate network configurations. The vulnerability affects all Windows versions that include the WwanSvc component, particularly impacting enterprise environments where mobile broadband connectivity is prevalent. Network administrators face significant risk as this vulnerability can be exploited remotely through compromised endpoints or locally through social engineering attacks targeting users with standard privileges.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate protection and long-term security improvements for affected systems. Microsoft has released security updates that correct the privilege escalation flaw by implementing proper access control validation within the WwanSvc service implementation. Organizations should prioritize patch deployment across all managed systems while implementing additional monitoring controls to detect anomalous service behavior or unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. The mitigation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, and requires network segmentation strategies that limit the potential impact of compromised endpoints. Security teams should also consider disabling unnecessary wireless broadband services on systems where mobile connectivity is not required, reducing the attack surface available to potential exploiters. Regular security auditing of service configurations and privilege assignments helps maintain defense-in-depth posture against similar vulnerabilities in other system components.