CVE-2024-38202
High CVSS 7.3Published 2024-08-08 ยท last changed 2026-06-17
The fix
Microsoft fixes this in updatesKB5044293, KB5044277, KB5044273, KB5044280, KB5044285, KB5044281, KB5044288. The fixed build differs per Windows version, so the row that matters is the one matching the machine you are looking at.
| Windows version | Fixed in build | Update | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems | 10.0.14393.7428 | KB5044293 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems | 10.0.14393.7428 | KB5044293 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems | 10.0.17763.6414 | KB5044277 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems | 10.0.17763.6414 | KB5044277 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems | 10.0.19044.5011 | KB5044273 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems | 10.0.19044.5011 | KB5044273 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems | 10.0.19044.5011 | KB5044273 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for 32-bit Systems | 10.0.19045.5011 | KB5044273 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems | 10.0.19045.5011 | KB5044273 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems | 10.0.19045.5011 | KB5044273 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 11 version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems | 10.0.22000.3260 | KB5044280 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 11 version 21H2 for x64-based Systems | 10.0.22000.3260 | KB5044280 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 11 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems | 10.0.22621.4317 | KB5044285 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems | 10.0.22621.4317 | KB5044285 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 11 Version 23H2 for ARM64-based Systems | 10.0.22631.4317 | KB5044285 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems | 10.0.22631.4317 | KB5044285 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows Server 2016 | 10.0.14393.7428 | KB5044293 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) | 10.0.14393.7428 | KB5044293 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows Server 2019 | 10.0.17763.6414 | KB5044277 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) | 10.0.17763.6414 | KB5044277 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows Server 2022 | 10.0.20348.2762 | KB5044281 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation) | 10.0.25398.1189 | KB5044288 | 2026-09-24 |
| Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation) | 10.0.20348.2762 | KB5044281 | 2026-09-24 |
Having the KB is not the same as knowing whether a machine has it. Windows updates supersede each other, so the update you installed often covers a fix that shipped in an earlier one. Paste your build into the patch checker and it walks that chain for you.
What it is
Summary Microsoft was notified that an elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in Windows Update, potentially enabling an attacker with basic user privileges to reintroduce previously mitigated vulnerabilities or circumvent some features of Virtualization Based Security (VBS). However, an attacker attempting to exploit this vulnerability requires additional interaction by a privileged user to be successful. Microsoft has developed a security update to mitigate this threat which was made available October 08, 2024 and is provided in the Security Updates table of this CVE for customers to download. Note: Depending on your version of Windows, additional steps may be required to update Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to be protected from this vulnerability. Please refer to the FAQ section for more information. Guidance for customers who cannot immediately implement the update is provided in the Recommended Actions section of this CVE to help reduce the risks associated with this vulnerability and to protect their systems. If there are any further updates regarding mitigations for this vulnerability, this CVE will be updated and customers will be notified. We highly encourage customers to subscribe to Security Update Guide notifications to receive an alert if an update occurs. Details A security researcher informed Microsoft of an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Update potentially enabling an attacker with basic user privileges to reintroduce previously mitigated vulnerabilities or circumvent some features of VBS. For exploitation to succeed, an attacker must trick or convince an Administrator or a user with delegated permissions into performing a system restore which inadvertently triggers the vulnerability. Microsoft has developed a security update to mitigate this threat which was made available October 08, 2024 and is provided in the Security Updates table of this CVE for customers to download. Note: Depending on your version of Windows, additional steps may be required to update Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to be protected from this vulnerability. Please refer to the FAQ section for more information. Guidance for customers who cannot immediately implement the update is provided in the Recommended Actions section of this CVE to help reduce the risks associated with this vulnerability and to protect their systems. If there are any further... See more at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38202
Sources
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H